You Are Awesome
by violinia
Summary: Gilbert and Elizabeta have been friends since childhood. Their friendship is so strong that it has developed into something more. Except Elizabeta's parents would rather have their daughter marry the rich, musician, Roderich. - A Human AU of Prussia, Hungary and Austria. The time period is around the late 1800s. I do not own any of the characters in this story -
1. A Friendship's End

_He could understand every other emotion except that. That one emotion, it gave him a strange feeling in his tummy, made his head spin and left him stammering like a fool. And someone as awesome as him does not stammer like the fool._

* * *

Gilbert's childhood friend, Elizabeta was a forced to be reckoned with. He couldn't remember exactly _how _they became friends, but their friendship had lasted from the very beginning. Elizabeta wasn't like the other girls he knew; she liked to hunt, she liked to fight, she didn't mind if her clothes got all muddy and most of all, she wasn't afraid of Gilbert. _It must be because she's Hungarian. _Gilbert would tell himself, after he lost several wrestling matches.

But Elizabeta's family didn't approve of her behaving like a boy. Her mother attempted several times to get her to wear those pretty dresses with the frills and the ruffles, but Elizabeta would ruin them by jumping into a mud puddle once she was free from her mother's hold. They tried everything they could to change their daughter, but she refused. "I don't see what the big deal is! Just because I don't like to wear those stupid dresses doesn't mean I'm not a girl! I just want to have fun, and being a lady isn't fun." she would complain to Gilbert, pouting.

It was hard for Elizabeta; no one would ever take her seriously at school. All of the boys made fun of her because of her short hair and 'boy' clothes. Of course, they would all end up crying to the teacher because Liz kicked the living snot out of them. "So what if I'm a girl! I can still kick their asses!" she would say. But deep down, Gilbert knew that it hurt her when everyone called her names and poke fun at her.

Much older now, Gilbert and Elizabeta's time together grew shorter each time the met. Liz's family no longer wanted her to be hanging out with a 'crude, immature, disgusting boy', so they often limited her time with him. Plus, the two were both adults now, they no longer had any time for childish game. They spent most of their time reminiscing their childhood, gossiping about the people who lived in the town and playing games that somehow ended up with the two of the wrestling each other. "I don't understand! How is it that you always beat me?!" Liz complained.

"Maybe it's because you are such a loser!" he gloated. The Hungarian gave him an icy cold stare with her emerald eyes and rested her chin in her palm, sighing.

"Figures," she huffed. "You have nothing good to say unless it's about you." Gilbert let out another laugh.

"Of course, I'm awesome!"

And their conversation would go on from there; bantering back and forth with another, acting like children. Gilbert never understood why Elizabeta liked hanging around him; she could easily punch him in the face or smack him and walk away, never to speak to him again. It was almost as she trusted him. Yes, they had been childhood friends, but it wasn't like he had been any different then; he was an asshole then and is still an asshole today.

And today, was different. Liz was behaving strange all afternoon and she had become fidgety.

"Gilbert," Liz mumbled, blowing her bangs out of her eyes. "Have you ever been on a date with another girl? What happens?" Gilbert chuckled.

"Of course I've been on many dates with lots of girls, because who wouldn't want to go on a date with me?" he replied, jabbing his thumb into his chest, proudly. "Why are you asking me this?" Liz shrugged, her cheeks turning a light shade of pink and smiled.

"No reason in particular." she muttered, looking away. "Do you know Roderich?" Elizabeta asked, breaking the thread of silence between them. Gilbert glared at her, waiting for her to turn back around. Roderich? Was she talking about that lame Austrian who was too busy to talk to people because he was playing that lousy piano? What about him?

"Roderich? Austrian, right? What a total _loser_, a complete pussy if you ask me." Gilbert spat, laughing. Suddenly, Gilbert felt his worlds spin around as his friend had snatched the collar of his shirt and pulled him upwards, ready to clobber him.

"Why must you be so rude?" she snapped. "I think he's a nice and sweet guy, a true gentleman; unlike you!" Gilbert rolled his eyes and pushed her away. He gave her his typical, asymmetrical, smug smirk and locked eyes with her.

"If being a true gentleman means not being awesome and being a total pussy, then I don't want to be one." he growled, crossing his arms. "Besides, prissy Roderich wouldn't want anything to do with you because you're so butch that it's hard to belie—"

"Say one more thing and you're dead!" Now this, was going back to a normal day. By this time, Elizabeta had lifted her fist higher up in the air, her eyes telling him that she was serious with going through with punching him to a pulp. "Look, I really like him a-and…he asked me out to the ball tonight." Gilbert's smug grin faded as she continued to speak and his expression turned into a cliché look of confusion. "You're the only other person I talk to frequently and…oh I don't know…but…maybe you could give me some advice or something…" Gilbert began to tune his beloved friend out as he was consumed by his own thoughts. Liz was asking _him _for advice? Hadn't she realized that he had made all that mumbo-jumbo about being with a lot of girls up just in an attempt to make her jealous? He had always done that, bragging to others just to make _him _feel better about himself when really, he was just as insecure as the next person. He had no idea what it was like to go out on a date, spend some quality time with someone special.

"Hello? Are you even listening to me?" Liz scolded, slapping him his face. Wincing from the sting, Gilbert put on his typical smirk and chuckled.

"I don't know what you want me to say!" The Hungarian sighed with irritation and rested her arms against her sides.

"I just want some advice, some tips on what to do, how to impress." Liz reiterated, making it clear that she was repeating herself for the umpteenth time. Gilbert shrugged, not particularly caring about the topic and pushed her jokingly.

"Just act like me, because I am awesome, and everything will be fine." he muttered, chuckling. He heard a grunt from his friend confessing her irritation and saw her storm past him. "What? You ask me for advice and I give it to you, and you're still angry at me."

"You're not helping." she huffed, punching his shoulder. Gilbert winced in pain and massaged his joint, rubbing the pain away, and laughed louder. "Sometimes I don't even know why I bother with you; you're a hopeless man who has no emotions at all! So heartless! And to think that I think of you as my friend is well…" Liz paused, glancing over at the smirking man behind her. "Is just mind-boggling! Goodbye, Gilbert." With that, she turned away and slowly faded away, leaving Gilbert alone. His obnoxious laughter slowly stopped, turning into a stifled whimper as he sat down.

"A hopeless man who has no emotions? So heartless?" he repeated softly to himself. The words had hurt harder than any other harsh words Liz had said to him before. Gilbert didn't think of himself as a heartless person, it was quite the opposite. The mask of self pride worked well for him; he thought of emotions as something weak and well, _girly_, so certainly he shouldn't express them. He brought up his knees to his chest, watching the wind blow across the hills, pushing the long blades of grass over. A small, sincere smile grew across lips as he thought of a plan for this evening. "Oh Elizabeta, you don't know a thing."

* * *

Elizabeta slammed the door behind her with fury and stomped over to her closet. She slid the doors open, finding the one and only dress that she kept there. Her mother had sewn it a while ago, during the period of time where Liz was going through puberty, and her mother wanted her to be more 'feminine', as she put it. Liz only hoped that the dress would still fit, since it was an old dress and all. "He's so self absorbed." she muttered, stripping down to only her under garments and looking for the best way to pull the dress over her head. "He never cares about me or anyone else in that matter!" The dress was so ridiculously _fluffy,_ which made it harder for Liz to pull the blasted thing over her head. There were ruffles at the bottom, which rustled with every movement and tripped her when she walked.

"This dress is impossible!" Liz complained, twirling around in front of her mirror. "And to think that there are some women who wear these everyday! Unbelievable!" She took a step forward and tripped over her own feet, falling to the floor. As she tried to carefully stand back up without out ripping the skirt of the dress, there was a soft, almost inaudible knock on the door. "Come in." she muttered, knowing all too well who it was.

"Elizabeta, dear, be careful or you're going to ruin your dress and you won't look nice at the ball tonight!" her mother said, tip-toeing inside the room. "You want to give that nice Austrian boy a good impression of you tonight!" Liz sighed, blowing her bangs up in the air for a split second and brushed the dust off of her dress. Her mother gently tugged on her daughter's arms and zipped up the back of Liz's dress. "After all these years of fretting over that you wouldn't find a nice boy, you meet Roderich! You have no idea how proud of you I am, Elizabeta!"

"Mom, it's not like I'm getting married." Liz snapped, sucking in her breath. _Dresses are so uncomfortable! _She thought, fidgeting around as she stood.

"I know, I know, but you always attract the strange ones. For years, you always hung out with that weird albino kid who's always loud and crude! I was worried you wouldn't find a proper gentleman to take care of you." her mother said, brushing her daughter's hair out. "But now, you've met Roderich and talk about a true gentleman! Men like him are becoming harder to find these days. You are so lucky, Elizabeta, and you don't even realize it!"

"Why can't you just call me Liz?" Her mother gasped and gave a look of horror, but collected herself quickly.

"Elizabeta is your name and that's what you shall be called at all times." she replied, sitting on the bed. "Is that what that albino kid calls you? Liz? Despicable."

"His name is Gilbert." Liz corrected, annoyed. "Are you going to help me get ready or not?" Her mother patted the soft bedding on the bed, smiling brightly and began combing her daughter's caramel colored hair.

"You are going to be so beautiful tonight, Elizabeta." she whispered. "Perhaps you and Roderich will become friends and maybe later on he will ask you for your hand in marriage. Wouldn't that be wonderful, dear?" Liz sighed and gritted her teeth. Her family had such high expectations for her and she hated every single one of them. Dresses, strange hair styles, make up; it all just didn't make sense to her half the time. No one in her family could understand that all she wanted to do was be herself, _Liz_. The only person who _did _seem to understand her was Gilbert, her longtime childhood friend, the one she trusted the most.

But he wasn't at all what her family wanted.

* * *

**Quick author's note: This is my first Hetalia story. It started out as a simple one-shot, then turned into a whole she-bang with a love triangle and ridiculous drama. I've tried my best to edit as much as I can to fix the plot changes and if you do find any errors, please let me know and I will fix immediately. I will possibly change the rating of this story later on, depending upon how much in detail I get into at points. Reviews and critiques are welcomed and very much appreciated. **


	2. A Tragic Dance

**Quick note: I apologize that this chapter is extremely lengthy. I tried to cut parts out and find spots where I could divide the chapter in half but couldn't find a good spot. If you have any suggestions, please let me know. Reviews and critiques are welcomed!**

* * *

"Oh how can people wear these things? It's so weird and just…" Gilbert mumbled as he buttoned his shirt. There was no way Liz was going to this ball _willingly_; she hated wearing those frilly dresses, twirling around and around the ballroom dancing. She hated all of those things, and yet, she seemed to be so excited telling him that she was going to this evening's ball with Roderich. It was so unlike her.

Gilbert heard heavy footsteps behind him and twisted around to see his younger, blonde brother standing in the doorway. "What are you doing?" Ludwig asked. If there was anyone who was emotionless, it was Gilbert's little brother. Ludwig always had such a stern, serious expression, unbreakable like a stone. Ludwig didn't know how to have fun; it was always business with him. "I said, what are you doing?" Ludwig repeated, his voice harsher this time. Gilbert straightened his tie and smirked, like always and patted his little brother's head.

"None of your business, you little brat." he answered, finally. "It's grown up stuff, boring stuff." Ludwig grimaced and crossed his arms against his small chest.

"If it's boring, then why are you doing it?" Ludwig pestered, refusing to move out of the way.

"Because…Liz asked me to go to this and so I am!" Gilbert lied, pushing his brother aside.

"Liz asked you?" Ludwig didn't budge as his older brother pushed hard as he could. The blonde narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing Gilbert's smoothed down hair, formal attire and shook his head. "Are you going to that formal dance today? I thought you had to have some sort of invitation to get in and I know that _you _didn't get one. Besides, I heard Liz is going with Roderich."

"I know that!" Gilbert hissed, finally pushing his way through. "Which is stupid, because once she sees me there, she's going to want to dance with the Awesome Me." Ludwig rolled his eyes, following his older brother to the front door.

"You're going to get caught and kicked out." Gilbert stopped in his tracks and clenched his fists. He loved his brother dearly, honestly, but there were times Ludwig knew he was right and wouldn't stop until Gilbert gave up. _He's the only one in this family who was born with brains. _Gilbert thought to himself, opening the front door and taking a step out into the cold night. "You're going to get caught and they'll just throw you out! And Liz will be angry with you and never talk to you again because you made a fool of yourself. And she'll become friends with Roderich and marry him and…"

"Shut up, you loser!" Gilbert had had it with this kid; for someone who was always so serious, he was acting his age, for once. "I'm not going to get caught because I am awesome! I have an awesome plan and it's going to work and nothing is going to happen. That stupid pussy Roderich can go suck it." The frozen ground crunched and cracked a little with each step to the barn, Gilbert opened the door and pulled one of the horses out. The younger blonde had followed him out there, still nagging him and trying to convince Gilbert he was right. Somewhere in his arrogant mind, he knew it wasn't going to work. The plan was bound to fail, he would get thrown out. But he couldn't lose Liz to some piano playing, stuck up "gentleman"; she was too awesome for that.

"It's not going to work! It's not going to work!" Ludwig chanted, like the pre-teen he was. "It's not going to work!" As Gilbert led the horse to the gates of the house, Ludwig still chased him, refusing to drop the subject. "Why are you doing this anyway? Is it because you _like _Liz?" Not bothering to admit the truth out loud, Gilbert climbed onto the horse and nodded to his younger brother.

"Tell Grandpa that I went out and I'll be back later tonight." he ordered, grabbing the reigns to the horse. Ludwig's expression froze back to his typical stoic face as he nodded.

"We need milk." he mumbled. Gilbert sighed and took mental note.

"I'll try to remember, but I doubt the market will be open by the time I leave." Gilbert smirked and chuckled. "See you later, loser. Be nice to Grandpa, okay?" Ludwig only replied with a small little smile and watched his brother ride off into the night, calling after him:

"Don't forget to kiss Liz!"

* * *

Roderich certainly was handsome, Liz would give him that. He was a kind person too, a true gentleman, but there was something Liz missed about him. He was _way _too serious, all he talked about was music and he had more feminine qualities than Liz herself. If Liz had a choice, she wouldn't be with him; he was a little boring for her tastes. But Roderich was the man her family wanted her to be with, and the longer they stayed together, the more they would push for them to marry. She didn't want to get married, but she was a lady; she had no choice in the matter.

"Liebling," Roderich said softly as he offered his hand to help her out of the carriage. Liz gently placed her hand on top of his, grasping it as she carefully tried not to rip her dress by climbing out of the carriage. One she was safely out, Roderich gave a nod to the driver as they headed into the ballroom. The two were linked in arm and arm, slowly walking side by side; Roderich had to adjust his larger stride to Liz's more cautious steps and keep her balanced in her shoes. "You're very wobbly." he stated, catching her in his arms for the tenth time. "Would you like to sit for awhile?"

"Yes, please." Liz answered, simply, pulling him over to the tables aside from the dance floor. Her feet were killing her, each step caused her pain; she could've sworn her feet were beginning to bleed from wearing these dress shoes. Roderich kindly pulled out a chair for her and waited for her to take a seat. As he moved around the table to sit across from her, Liz caught a glimpse of her parents sitting on the other side of the room. _They must be beside themselves right now. _She thought, smiling to Roderich.

"I'm afraid I've been extremely rude tonight; I've been only talking about myself, I haven't heard a word from you." he apologized.

"Oh, it's fine." Liz replied, shrugging. She was used to listening since Gilbert only talked about himself as well. "I'm used to listening to others."

"But I shouldn't be talking the entire night. Please, tell me about yourself, Fräulein." She fidgeted in her seat, trying to get comfortable in her dress, but failed. "Elizabeta? Are you alright?"

"Sorry! It's just…this dress is so uncomfortable." she mumbled, laughing nervously. As she scooted her chair around, Liz thought about what she could tell Roderich about herself that wouldn't have him running for the hills. _I mustn't screw this up. _She reminded herself, looking towards her companion. "Well…I…uh…" Liz stumbled, hesitant. "I'm not like the other girls you'd meet. I-I'm not very lady-like." Roderich smiled.

"It's nice to know that not all girls are the same." he said. His smile was soft and bright, almost comforting. Liz smiled back, relieved that he didn't seem at all bothered that she wasn't like the typical girls. "It's good to be different; I'm not like most men."

"Yes, you're very gentle. Unlike some other men I know." The thought of this afternoon with Gilbert crossed her Elizabeta's mind, and she urged herself to push it away. Her friendship with him needed to end, that chapter of her life was coming to a close and she was prepared to start a new one. It was the only way to make her family finally proud of her; they had gone too long worrying about her and her choices.

Music began to play and Roderich's smile grew brighter. "Ah, Haydn." he muttered to himself, swaying a little. "He's a lovely composer, yes?" Liz didn't have any knowledge about music at all; she and Gilbert often made fun of music like this. All she could picture was Gilbert mockingly prancing around, pulling her close to him and they would clumsily dance together, laughing. It would be nice to actually learn to dance properly, instead of stepping on each other's toes and tripping over her own feet.

"There's a pretty melody; it's almost as if it's floating around us." Liz finally commented. Roderich nodded in agreement.

"Haydn's music is very light and gentle, like a soft breeze." he added, standing up. He bowed and offered his hand to her. "Elizabeta, may I have this dance?"

* * *

_Verdammt! There's no way to sneak in! _Gilbert thought, angrily shoving his hands in his pockets. The windows were just a few inches too high for him to climb into and waltzing through the front doors wasn't an option. _Think, Gilbert, denke! _He crept around the building, looking for any secret entrances to crawl or climb through.

Ahead of him, there was a man walking towards a back door, twirling a key around his finger. Gilbert followed close to him, and patiently waited for him to unlock the door. _This must be the kitchen. I bet I can sneak in there and find the ballroom and sweep Liz away from that prissy musician… _The door was unlocked and the man stepped in, not hearing Gilbert clumsily and loudly leaping for the door handle. He waited until the coast was clear to step in and take in his surroundings. Thinking he knew the way from there, an older man shouted at him, yanking on his jacket.

"Hey! You! You're supposed to be handing out hors d'oeuvres to those fancy people! What do you think you're doing?" the man scolded, shaking Gilbert back and forth.

"I'm not…" Gilbert stopped himself before he said something he would regret. Being a waiter wouldn't be so bad; he would just take a tray and slip out of the kitchen. Then, he would find Liz that way. "Sorry, sir, I thought…it was time for the…dessert." The old man scowled at him, scrutinizing him and wagging his arthritic finger in Gilbert's face.

"Everyone knows desserts are the _last _thing that is served! Where's your head, boy?" he shouted. "Just get out there, and don't let me catch you slacking off or you're fired! Understood?" Gilbert nodded, shoving the man away and snatching a plate off the counter and rushing through the doors. The musicians had already started to play and the guests were dancing around the dance floor. It was like the room was filled with a rainbow; the dresses were of all assorted colours, with ruffles and frills and bows. Gilbert didn't take note to them, he only began circling the room looking for his friend.

The only friend that mattered to him in the world.

After giving up for a few minutes, Gilbert tried to look as poised as he could, studying each dancer's face hoping that he would see Liz. "She can't be too hard to find. She's as butch as ever!" he muttered to himself, laughing. But too his surprise, he noticed Roderich first, who was elegantly leading a beautiful woman in a forest green dress around the floor. "Maybe Liz told him she can't dance to save his life and he picked a different girl. Ha!" Roderich spun on his heel, leading the woman with him and there was a loud clash of a metal tray landing on the floor. The tray had slipped out of Gilbert's hand, which left food flying everyone and girls screaming, as he realized who the beautiful woman was. _Mein Gott! That girl is…is Liz! _He thought. Gilbert found himself pushing through the other dancers to get to her, but each time he grew nearer, someone would push him further back. "Liz!" he called, cupping his hands over his mouth. _Dammit, the music is too loud. _"I'm not losing her this easily."

"Sir!" someone called after him. He turned to see that a there was a girl standing behind him, her hands on her hips, angry at him. "You owe me a new dress!" Sure enough, there was food splattered all over the skirt, which made Gilbert laugh.

"Tough luck." he replied. "If you didn't want it to get dirty, then why did you wear it?" His comment resulted in a slap across the face, but Gilbert didn't even flinch. Liz had smacked him harder, hell, he had even taken a beatings from a skillet. The girl marched off, probably off to find the old man from earlier, as the music decrescendoed to an end. Everyone dispersed to their seats, Gilbert keeping his eyes on Liz as she chased after her. "Liz!" he called, cheerfully. Liz spun around, releasing Roderich's hand, and gave Gilbert a horrified look.

"What are _you _doing here?"

* * *

She could've sworn she kept hearing someone yelling out her name, she could've sworn she heard Gilbert's voice. Liz convinced herself that it was all in her mind, that there was certainly _no way _Gilbert could be here.

It wasn't until the dance was over and she turned around to find him behind her, with that all too familiar smug grin on his face, that she knew she hadn't made it all up.

"_Gilbert_! What are you…how did you…?" she stammered. Roderich looked at her, confused, then to Gilbert.

"You know him?" he asked, surprised. Gilbert's smirk hadn't faded away, he waved his hand in the air, dismissing their questions.

"Yeah, I know, I'm so awesome that I can even sneak into a ballroom whenever I want." he said, snickering.

"Gilbert, you're not supposed to be here." Liz snapped, pulling away hand out of Roderich's grasp. She stood as close as she could to her childhood friend, her face centimeters away from his, and glared. "You're going to _ruin _every—" Before she could finish, Gilbert grabbed her arm and dragged her with him.

"We have to talk." Liz gave Roderich a reassuring glance before she was pulled around the corner to where she and Gilbert could converse in peace. Once Gilbert stopped, Liz pulled her arm away from him and slapped him across the face as hard as she could.

"You idiot! What on earth do you think you're doing?" she demanded, slapping him again. "I can't believe this! Everything was going so well and you…" Lost for words, she raised her hand, ready to smack him again, but Gilbert held onto her wrists.

"I thought you wouldn't mind a little rescuing from this boring party. We both know you hate these things, and being with that wimp makes things worse." he joked, laughing. Liz snarled and tried to free her wrists.

"That's not why you're here! You never think like that!" she hissed.

"Well, I know you didn't come to this thing willingly, either. Why couldn't I have been your escort to this thing, huh?" Gilbert's hint of sarcasm was gone as he waited. Liz blinked at him, befuddled and speechless. "Your family is making you go with _him_, aren't they?"

"Gilbert, are you actually bothered that I…"

"Yes, I mean no…I mean…you don't understand."

"This is so unlike you! I mean, you hate these things! You hate dancing, you hate dressing like this you hate…" Gilbert gently put his mouth over hers.

"I would've done it if it would've made you happy…if it was what you wanted." The two stood in silence for what seemed an eternity until Liz took a step back. She bowed her head, nervously twisting her fingers around each other, and closed her eyes.

"My family wouldn't have allowed it, and you know that." she whispered. "They want me…they want me to be friends with Roderich and…"

"You don't love him. You _can't _love him." Gilbert blurted. Liz's emerald eyes met his crimson eyes as she made a small noise of confusion.

"What? Love? Gilbert…what are you talking abou—"

"You can't love him because he's…I…you can't marry him!"

"I never said I am!"

"Yes you did! You said your family wants you to marry him! All because he wears fancy pants and can play the piano and dance and shit." Gilbert swayed his hips a little, mocking the dances that had occurred previously. "I could do all that crap if I wanted to, but since I'm so awesome, I choose not to. But i-if you wanted me to, I would."

"Gilbert, you're not making any sense." Liz interrupted. "What is this all about?" Gilbert pressed his lips together and broke their eye contact. His cheeks turned bright red, which didn't take much because of his pale skin, and he shifted awkwardly to straighten his back. "Gil, just spit it out, will you? Roderich's waiting for me."

"I…I…uh…" he began, scratching the back of his neck. "I…um…ich…liebe…oh jeez…" Liz crossed her arms against her chest, sighing with frustration.

"I'm going to eat my dinner while you try to gather your thoughts." she said, turning away. Right as she was about to turn the corner, Gilbert shouted:

"You're awesome!" Elizabeta froze, looking over her shoulder as she saw Gilbert's face was as red as a tomato.

"Sorry?" she asked.

"You're awesome! The both of us are awesome! We are the only two people that exist in this world that are awesome!" he repeated. He stood there, body tensed up and fists clenched, waiting for her answer. He heard her footsteps coming closer to him and she rested her hand on his shoulder.

"Gilbert," she said, soothingly. "I, surprisingly enough, understand now. But, I have to do this." She stepped back, gesturing to her formal attire and sighed. "I have to be a _lady_, otherwise, my family will never forgive me. They'll make me marry Roderich because they know what's best for me." Gilbert shook his head in disbelief. "I'm sorry, Gilbert."

"No." he whispered, biting his lower lip. "I can change, Liz! For you! Please!"

"It wouldn't work, Gilbert." she muttered.

"But…you don't love him! You love me…don't deny it!"

"I'll learn to love him, just like I learned to love you." Liz moved away, heading back to where Roderich and the rest of her family was waiting for her. "I'm sorry, Gilbert. I really am." As she turned the corner, reaching for Roderich's hand, she closed her eyes and winced when she heard a cry from her old friend.

"Elizabeta, _ich liebe dich!_"

* * *

He was shaking, _Gott,_ his whole body was _shaking_. "This can't be happening." he whimpered. The music continued to play, a light and feathery melody taunting him for his stupidity. "This can't be happening. I love her. She loves me." He shuffled to observe his friend sit down at the table and pretend to be someone she wasn't. Feeling his lip tremble, Gilbert quickly turned around and bolted for the front doors, knocking over anyone who was in his way. Soon, his legs gave way and he tripped, falling onto the dirt road and soiling the neat outfit he had worked so hard to put on this afternoon. His body was still shaking like crazy and it wouldn't stop.

He was an idiot. Ludwig had been right; he made a fool of himself and now she wouldn't talk to him ever again. What had he been thinking?

Gilbert forced himself to stand back up and walk himself home. He wrapped his arms around himself to keep warm, but he shivered violently in the cold. There was a pain in his chest, as if his heart was crumbling into tiny pieces as he took each step. A rock was stuck in his throat and tears that were on the brink of spilling over. _"A man does not cry." _He heard his grandfather's words echo in his mind. _"Crying is for the weak, crying is a woman's job. A true man does not and will not cry." _Gilbert opened the door, seeing his grandfather sitting on the couch, sleeping and Ludwig quietly reading a book. He bit his lip hard, trying to keep the tears from falling down his cheeks as he closed the door.

"You forgot the milk." Ludwig mumbled, not even looking up from his book. Gilbert knew all too well that it was his younger brothers attempt to put his mind on something else, but the heartbreak was too much to bear. "Did you kiss her?" Finally, Ludwig glanced up at his older sibling, frowning. "Are you crying?"

"_No._" Gilbert snapped, walking towards his room. "I ate some bad…fish." He could feel his brother's stare follow him to the stairwell, silently questioning what had happened.

"D-do you want to talk about it?" He heard him ask.

"Tch." Gilbert hissed. "Why would I want to talk to a dumb kid?" He slammed the door to his room and fell on his bed. His body was no longer shaking, but the pain in his chest had grown worse. He grabbed his pillow, buried his face into it and cried until there were no more tears.

* * *

"Is everything alright, Fräulein?" Roderich asked, pushing Elizabeta's chair in. The rest of her family decided to join the young couple's table for dinner and was smiling proudly. "I'm not straining any friendships, am I?" Elizabeta simply shook her head, placing her napkin in her lap.

"Elizabeta, I'm so proud of you!" her mother announced, clapping her hands together. "I thought trouble was lurking around when I saw that boy drag you away, but I'm glad that you made the right choice." The young Hungarian girl remained quiet, staring at the plate in front of her. Roderich watched her carefully, occasionally glancing over at her parents, and observed. Once the meal was over and the elder couple walked off to dance, he placed his hand over Elizabeta's hand for comfort.

"You're upset, liebling." he said, gently. "What was it that Gilbert said to you?"

"It was a bunch of nonsense." she answered. "I…told him a while ago that I didn't want to see him anymore and he wouldn't take no for an answer. I only had to reiterate what I had told him earlier." Roderich watched her, sensed that her answer was stiff and choppy. Before he could counter what she had said, Elizabeta leaned forward and kissed him. "I just want you to know that I'm having a wonderful time tonight. I'm glad my parents introduced us." The kiss had taken him by surprise, and it took a few moments for Roderich to respond, but he smiled. "Shall we dance again?" Roderich kissed her forehead and brushed her bangs back.

"Of course, liebling."


	3. Unexpected Visit

_A few months later_

Gilbert mostly helped his grandfather around the stable, caring for the horses while his younger brother went off to school. Ludwig often brought back his friend, Feliciano (who was Italian and ditzy as hell), back to the house and they would do everything they could to annoy Gilbert. He had never told his family officially what had happened that night, Gilbert felt that they didn't need to know. It was silly, really. All that love crap; his grandfather warned him that it wasn't worth it, and in the end, he was right.

Gilbert spent most of his time sitting in the stable, either moping or drinking beer, since he had no else to spend his time with. He never realized how much time he and Liz spent hanging out until now that she no longer wanted anything to do with him. "Hey Gil," Ludwig called, slowly walking down the pathway in the barn. Ludwig towered over his brother, giving him a stern expression. "When are you going to stop sulking over that girl? That was so long ago!" Gilbert sat up in the haystack he was lying in, letting all of the beer bottles roll off and clank across the wooden floor. There was the bulky sound of someone clumsily walking around the stable, Feliciano appeared behind his best friend with a goofy grin.

"Hi there, Gilbert!" he greeted, waving. He glanced around to see the beer bottles scattered everywhere and frowned. "That's a lot of bottles, Gilbert. I hope that's not all from today because that would mean…" Ludwig elbowed his friend in the stomach.

"Not now, Feli." he murmured. Ludwig offered his hand, offering to help his elder brother to his feet. "Come on, get off of your ass and come with us. Dinner's getting cold."

"I'm not hungry." Gilbert replied, ruffling his hair. His head was throbbing from the indulgence of alcohol he had taken in, the room was spinning and Gilbert fell back against the itchy hay again.

"Stop it right now, Gilbert, this is pathetic." Ludwig added, snatching Gilbert's sleeve and pulling him up.

"I said I'm not hungry! Leave me alone!" he shouted, pushing Ludwig away. "Give my portions to Feliciano; we all know that boy can eat."

"Yay!"

Ludwig shook his head and turned away. "When you're done pouting, grandpa wants to talk to you. I'm sure it's about the way the way you've been acting." he explained, walking away. Feliciano stood next to Gilbert for a few more minutes, searching for something in his pocket. Sooner or later, there was suddenly an envelope resting on Gilbert's nose.

"Your Grandpa told me to give this to you!" Feliciano cheered. "I think it's a wedding invitation! That would be exciting, wouldn't it be, Gilbert? A wedding! Think of all the food and the pretty girls! You can meet a new girl there I bet! And—"

"Feli!" Ludwig hollered, which made the Italian cover his mouth and run off. Groaning, Gilbert forced himself to sit up and study the envelope. 'To Gilbert Beilschmidt' was written in the middle of it in a subtle, cursive handwriting. He slid his finger under the slip and ripped it open, pulling a nicely decorated card out.

_You are cordially invited to the wedding of_

_Elizabeta Héderváry_

_And_

_Roderich Edelstein _

"No…" Gilbert whispered, feeling his hands beginning to tremble. He continued to read, crumpling the edges of the invite. "No! No! _No! _How _dare _she do this to me?!" The young man paced back and forth in the barn, his breath quick and he stumbled in drunkenness. "Does she really think I will attend her wedding? Her wedding to that…that fancy pants, jerk-wad pianist?" Gilbert grabbed the lantern that was resting by the entrance and opened the small hatch that was generally used to help refill it with oil. Folding the invite, he shoved inside the lantern and closed the hatchet, watching the small piece of paper burn to oblivion. "That bastard! She's an idiot! S-she doesn't even love him!" Gilbert screamed, picking up a beer bottle and throwing it across the barn. It shattered, glass shattering to the ground; one of the horses moved and neighed, becoming restless from the destructive behavior Gilbert was expressing. "She doesn't even love him."

Setting the paper on fire had used up the rest of the fuel in the lantern and the light drifted away in the barn. "_Scheisse_." he hissed. "What am I doing? Everything is beyond my control." Gilbert looked out to the house next to the barn, knowing that his grandfather was waiting for him there to scold him. Instead of facing his mistakes, Gilbert barricaded the door and fell asleep in the hay.

* * *

She had been standing on a tiny, little stool for about four hours, testing her patience with her mother and the seamstress. "How much longer will I have to stand on this blasted thing?" Elizabeta demanded, regaining her balance. Her mother gently pushed on her daughter's back, helping her stand up straight.

"I'm sorry dear, we have to check if the measurements are right!" she answered, tying the back of Elizabeta's dress. "I think this may be the one! Step down and give us a twirl, my dear!" Begrudgingly, Liz stepped off of the stool and cautiously spun around in the biggest dress she had ever worn in her life. Her mother clapped her hands together and cheered. "Oh, it's just perfect! Elizabeta, you look absolutely gorgeous!" Liz turned to look at the mirror and smiled to herself.

"I was afraid I would look ridiculous but this is actually really nice." she said, smoothing out the ruffles. Stepping back onto the stool, Liz closed her eyes as the seamstress and her mother carefully began untying the corset and pulling the dress off. Her wedding was only a few weeks from now and all of the planning was stressful, exhausting, but her mother's contagious excitement soon infected Liz as well.

After being helped with putting her other, usual day dress back on, Liz rushed down the stairs to find her fiancée sitting in his usual place by the piano. He was playing a calming piece from memory, delicately ending the piece with a soft cadence, smiling. "That was pretty." Liz commented, taking a seat next to him. Over the short time she had spent by getting to know Roderich, she tried to learn what she could about music. She learned that Roderich was _always _thinking about music. Either he was getting flustered over a certain phrase that he believed sounded terrible (while Liz always thought it sounded quite nice) or he would sit in his study, looking over scores of pieces he was playing or was going to be hearing at a concert the next day. Roderich often kept to himself and his piano, he was the true definition of a perfectionist; a quality Liz learned to tolerate. "Who wrote that?" she asked, resting her head against his shoulder.

"Hmm?" Roderich replied, still in his own little music world. "Oh, it was one of Mozart's piano sonatas."

"Well, it was lovely." Liz added. Roderich smiled and planted a soft kiss on her forehead.

"I'm glad that you like it." He wrapped his free arm around her waist and sighed. "So you've found a dress, yes?" Elizabeta nodded, pulling away ever so slightly.

"Have you heard from anyone else who might be attending our wedding?" she asked.

"A few others have reserved, yes. I think we'll have a decent number of people attending our wedding." Roderich excused himself and made his way out of the room.

"Uh, Roderich dear?" Liz called, following him out of the music room. "You haven't heard from Gilbert, have you?" He was half way up the stairs when he stopped and shook his head. Liz frowned and lowered her head, letting her hair cover her face.

"I'm sure you'll hear from him, liebling." Roderich reassured. "I would hope that since you two have a strong friendship that he wouldn't show up. He supports you, doesn't he?" Liz shrugged, not bothering to answer. "Cheer up; he'll be there. I promise." Liz let out a sigh and headed for the front door.

"You don't know Gilbert."

* * *

Ludwig was tending the field; getting rid of the weeds, watering the plants and re-fertilizing the earth. Feliciano was there beside him, helping him finish the job quickly. "Hey Ludwig, aren't you worried about your brother?" Feliciano asked, pouring some water on the crop. "He's been drinking a lot lately and…I think he's been crying too." Ludwig grunted, dropping a bag filled with fertilizer on the ground.

"He's fine." Ludwig mumbled. "He tends to be overdramatic over things like this. Give it a few more weeks and he'll be back to himself." Feliciano frowned.

"I think you've been saying that for the past few weeks. Haven't you and your grandpa tried talking to him?" he asked, rubbing his eyes. "Who was this girl anyway?"

"She was Gilbert's best friend since they were kids and he loved her. But her family wanted her to marry someone of more wealth instead." Ludwig wiped the sweat off of his head and saw a carriage pulling up to the front of the house. He began walking in the direction of the house, curiously walking to the carriage and watched a young woman step off. _No, it can't be. _Ludwig thought, his jaw dropping a little as he recognize the young woman approaching him.

"Good evening, Ludwig!" Elizabeta cheered with a bright smile. "It's been a while since I've seen you! How have you been?" Ludwig's only response was a stern glare, a stoic expression that was unbreakable. "Oh, well, um, is your brother around?"

"He's sick." Ludwig replied, quickly. "Been sick for two weeks now." Elizabeta tilted her head in concern, glancing up at the barn. "You should go now."

"May I see him? I need to talk to him." she pried, stepping forward.

"You should go now."

"I _want _to see him. I have to talk to him." The young German shook his head, turning around and grumbling to himself. He passed his friend, who was now following them to the barn. As Ludwig opened the wooden doors, a beer bottle rolled out passed his foot and continued down the hill.

"Feli, I'm going to get Gilbert and I want you to stay here with Elizabeta. I don't what he's going to be like, so if things get bad, I want you to kindly escort her back to her carriage and send her off her way. Understood?" Ludwig ordered, marching into the barn.

"Okee dokee, Ludwig!"

Ludwig followed the stench of beer in the stables and found his older brother in his usual spot; the empty stable in the left hand corner, sleeping in a haystack. "Gilbert, wake up." The younger brother pleaded, shaking the albino's arm. "Gilbert, you have a visitor." Gilbert stirred, pushed Ludwig's hand away and groaned. "Come on, you lazy bum. Get up! Get off your ass!" Finally, Gilbert sat up, revealing his terrible state and scowled.

"What is it? I thought I told you to leave me alone!" he snapped. His eyes were bloodshot, his hair was greasy and his clothes were soiled. His breath reeked of beer, which made Ludwig's nose curl up in disgust.

"You look like shit." he muttered, backing away.

"Thanks, you do too, _brüder_." Gilbert answered, sarcastically. "Who's this visitor?"

"It'd be best if you'd just come on out and see for yourself." Ludwig walked around him, pushing him up to his feet and letting one arm rest over his shoulder. "When was the last time you bathed?" Gilbert snickered.

"I don't know, a week ago?" he replied, staggering his way to the front doors. "I can walk on my own, you know!"

"Yeah, but you've been drinking nothing but beer lately…" Ludwig led Gilbert out of the barn, and steadied himself to what would happen next. "You probably can't stand on your own two feet."

* * *

Uncomfortable, Liz covered her mouth with her hand as she watched the younger brother guide his drunken brother out of the barn. "Gilbert?" she whispered, in shock. "What on earth have you been doing? You look…you look awful." Ludwig gently stepped back, allowing Gilbert to stand his own ground and watched cautiously.

"Thanks, crap wad." Gilbert joked, laughing. He met her gaze and paused. "Liz?" She watched as his eyes tried to look at all of her, her dress, her hair, her chest; everything. They stood in silence, staring at each other, trying to process what had happened in the past few months in each other's absence. Thinking it was safe, Elizabeta smiled and extended her hand out to brush Gilbert's oily hair away from his eyes.

"It's been so long," she began. Suddenly, anger filled Gilbert's crimson eyes and he snatched her wrist, squeezing it as if he wanted to break the bone.

"What do you think you're doing here?" he snarled, shaking her. "After what you did to me? After you just left me at that stupid ball, leaving me there with a broken heart and hurt? After all of that? You expect _me _to come to your stupid _wedding_?"

"It would mean so much to me if you came! We're friends, Gilbert!" Liz tried to explain.

"'It would mean so much to me if you came!'" Gilbert mocked, pushing her to the ground. "Our friendship ended the moment you agreed to marry that pansy!"

"Don't insult him! You know why I have to marry him!" Liz spat back, trying to defend herself. Gilbert was furious now, he looked as if he was ready to punch her senseless. "Gilbert, stop! Please! Just, listen to me!"

"No! I'm going to show you the pain you put me through!" Liz covered her face with her arm, ready for impact, when she heard Ludwig shouting something in German and the two of them wrestling on the ground.

"_Das ist genug, _Gilbert!" Ludwig cried, pinning his older brother on the grass. "Feliciano, now!" The brown haired kid helped Elizabeta to her feet and ushered her back to the carriage she had just arrived in. She glanced over her shoulder to watch the two struggling to push each other down for victory, but it was obvious Gilbert was too drunk to even push Ludwig off of him.

"I'm sorry, pretty lady." The Italian, Liz assumed to be this Feliciano, said. "Gilbert's been upset for months now; he's been drinking non-stop and living in the barn. He refuses to talk to anyone about it, or, it might be the other way around. Germans don't really talk about their emotions that much." Feliciano helped Liz climb back into carriage and smiled. "Don't worry though; Ludwig says that he'll be back to himself in a couple of weeks. I don't know why, but I think he's right this time. One can be depressed for so long, right?" Liz blinked at the young boy, amazed at his optimism. "It was nice meet you…"

"Elizabeta." Liz finished for him, smiling sadly. "It was nice to meet you too, Feliciano. Sorry my visit was cut short." He shrugged and grinned.

"We'll meet again, I know it!" he cheered. "Goodbye!" Liz pulled the door closed and took one last glance at the brothers who seemed to have stopped fighting. She played with the skirt of her dress, bunching up the fabric and squeezing. What had she done to her dear friend?

* * *

"What is wrong with you? How could you raise your hand at a lady?" Ludwig asked, keeping Gilbert face down to the ground.

"She's not a lady! We've fought before! She can take it!" Gilbert shouted, squirming around to get out of his brother's grasp. _When did he get so strong? _ "Let go of me!"

"Both of you aren't little kids anymore! It's different now!" Ludwig slowly stood up, keeping an eye on Gilbert as he watched Liz's carriage ride away. "She was just trying to have a conversation, Gilbert. You had no right to lash out at her like that." Realizing what the alcohol had done to him, Gilbert suddenly felt ashamed and guilty. The horror in Elizabeta's eyes haunted his mind as he closed his eyes, rubbing his face with his hands. "I'm going to clean up your mess in the barn while you go wash yourself up. You're absolutely filthy." Ludwig grabbed Gilbert's arm and yanked him upwards. "Once you're done, Grandpa wants to talk to you."

"About what?" Gilbert snapped, pulling away from him. They stood face to face, glaring at each other, waiting for their next move. "Did you hit a growth spurt or something? Since when were you almost as tall as me?"

"Don't try to change the subject, Gilbert. You know _exactly _what Grandpa wants to talk to you about." Ludwig turned back to the farm. "Sooner or later, you're going to pull yourself out of your depression and get a job and…" Gilbert ignored the rest of what his brother had to say and made his way to the house. Opening the door, his grandfather was nowhere to be found. Gilbert let out a relieved sigh and hurried (the best he could) up the stairs to the bathroom. Slamming the door behind him, he heard the mirror on the wall crash to the floor. He shook his head and went to fill up the bathtub. Once the tub was filled, Gilbert undressed and climbed in, groaning with pleasure as he relaxed in the warm water.

"I wish I could fix this." he muttered, picking up a wash cloth and washing his arm. The water trickled down, turning from clear to a murkish color. Gilbert took his time bathing, making sure every inch was clean. Once he was done, he drained the filthy water and wrapped himself in a towel. He could hear his grandfather yelling and arguing with Ludwig in German, complaining about Gilbert and how Ludwig threw out the remaining beer. Exhausted, Gilbert stumbled to his room and collapsed on his bed, not bothering to put clothes on, and fell asleep.

* * *

**Quick Author's Note: I'm not too happy with this chapter, honestly. I think I'm going a bit OOC with the characters. But then again, I get paranoid very easily. Reviews and critiques are welcomed and very much appreciated! **


	4. Forbidden Meeting

**Quick Note: If you have not noticed, the rating of this story is M, because of what is coming up in this chapter. I did not go into full detail, but since I'm very paranoid, I changed the rating just because of this scene and possible other scenes. If anyone thinks I may be going over the top with the rating, please let me know. Reviews and critiques are welcomed and very much appreciated! **

* * *

On the day before the wedding, Elizabeta was rather bored. All of the stress from finding a dress had disappeared weeks ago, all of the invitations had been sent and people were attending. She wasn't even allowed to see Roderich, who probably could've played the piano to keep her mind off things. But with nothing to do but to stare out the window, Elizabeta thought about her visit to Gilbert. Seeing him like that had frightened her, what had he been up to since that silly ball? Was he really that…heartbroken over her?

"Elizabeta!" Liz heard her mother sing. Without asking, her mother barged into her room and sat next to her daughter. "Oh, dear, I can't believe that this is the last day that you'll be living under my roof. The last day you'll be Elizabeta Héderváry! Tomorrow, you'll be Mrs. Roderich Edelstein! Isn't that wonderful?" Liz smiled slightly and nodded. _Mrs. Roderich Edelstein…it sounds so weird. _She thought. "Well, I just wanted to spend some time with you before the big day! Be sure to get lots of rest." Her mother gave her a small kiss on the cheek and was on her way. Liz sat in silence, twirling her long, caramel coloured hair around her fingers and thought. _Perhaps I should visit him one last time. _She told herself. _After tomorrow, I will never get the chance to see him ever again. This may be my last chance. _Positive that she wanted to see her childhood, best friend, Elizabeta hurried off to the washroom and took a quick bath. After doing so, she put on a simple dress that wouldn't get caught on the bushes or the hedges as she planned to sneak off at night.

Elizabeta waited until the sun began to set before she opened her bedroom window and slowly climbed down the vines of ivy that hugged her house. "It feels like old times." she murmured to herself, jumping down. A smile grew across her face as the memory of skipping her lessons to go hunt with Gilbert. "I certainly will miss them." Liz pushed back some of her hair behind her ear and sprinted down the secret passage she had made all those years ago.

* * *

Everything seemed to ache; his head, his arms, his legs, everything. He had stopped drinking after Liz dropped by for a surprise visit, but his depression still lurked around in his mind, which made him believe that he was in physical pain. Keeping to himself, Gilbert led the horse into the last stall and closed the door, sighing. "You can close up, right?" his grandfather asked. "I think you're capable now since the alcohol is no longer around." Gilbert rolled his eyes and simply nodded. "Good, see you inside." His grandfather shut the big wooden doors behind him and left Gilbert off on his own.

"Tomorrow's the big day." he muttered, plopping down on a haystack. "The day when I lose her forever." Clutching a few pieces of hay, Gilbert dropped them on his face and closed his eyes. "I remember when we used to hide in here all the time when Liz's parents would come looking for her." He grinned. They used to hide in the haystacks, doing the best they could to keep quiet, thought Gilbert's giggling and snickering would never cease to give their hiding spot away. Liz would leave by punching him the shoulder, calling him an idiot for laughing and then would be dragged away with her mother.

She must hate it that her mother has always told her what to do.

Gilbert wished that Liz would tell him what she _really _thought of this wedding ordeal. There was no way she truly loved Roderich, there was no way she agreed to marry him without some kind of an argument. That wasn't like Liz; she was a headstrong woman and always spoke her mind, though it often fell on deaf ears.

Gilbert sighed, rolling over to his side and curling up into a ball. He felt better ever since Ludwig and Grandpa got rid of the beer in the house, but there was still a feeling of emptiness in his heart. If he could only know what Liz was thinking, if he could know that she didn't love Roderich, maybe, just maybe, he'd be back to himself.

* * *

Elizabeta waited in the bushes as she watched Gilbert's grandfather and Ludwig enter the house. _They're certainly good at taking their time. _Liz complained to herself. As soon as the door clicked shut, Liz crawled as fast as she could out of the hedges and sprinted up the hill to the barn. "I can't believe they're just allowing him to sleep in there. Well, I guess he is an adult now so they really don't have any control, but still. They're not _that _heartless, are they?" she asked herself, pulling on the heavy doors. "Why are these things so darn heavy?!" Suddenly, Liz stumbled as the doors opened and quickly spun around to close them. She heard rustling behind her as she picked up the block of wood that 'locked' the doors to the barn.

"Liz?" Turning slightly, Liz saw Gilbert standing behind her with a confused expression across his face. She smiled as she dusted off her hands and approached him.

"You look much better than the last time I saw you." she remarked. "Have you stopped your drinking?" Gilbert pursed his lips and scratched his head.

"Not on my own accord; Ludwig ratted me out and my grandpa refuses to buy more of it." He glanced down at his shoes before getting angry. "So why are you here? Are you here to rub it in that you're marrying some loser who has money?"

"I've barely said one word and you're already bashing Roderich!" Liz spat back. "This isn't about _him _anyway! I came here to see you, Gil." Her German friend rolled his eyes at her and turned his back to her. "I mean it! The last time I was here, you were so drunk that you were acting like an animal! Ludwig told me that you had been drinking for months and I was worried about you!"

"So you show up the day before your wedding?" Gilbert mumbled. He threw out his arms and spun around. "Well, I'm not drinking anymore so there's nothing for you to worry about. You can go home now." Liz narrowed her eyes, skeptical. "You heard me! I'm not drinking anymore! I've got nothing left in this forsaken place and here you are, here to remind me that I lost the love of my life to some wimpy Austrian!"

"The love of your life?" Liz repeated.

"Yeah, that's right. Let me guess, you don't remember that ball oh so long ago?" Liz swallowed and pressed her lips together.

"Of _course _I remember, Gilbert. I know how you feel and I'm sorry it has to be this way but, my parents—"

"_Fuck _your parents! You'll never love that mole-face prick!" he yelled. Enraged, Liz marched right up to him and stood only inches away from him.

"You don't have to be so vulgar!" she hissed. "I _do _love Roderich, but it's a different kind of love than the love I have for you." She reached up to brush his silvery hair from his face and sighed.

"That's bullshit and you know it." Gilbert muttered, flinching away from her. "You can't love the both of us."

"But I can and I _will_." Liz gripped Gilbert's shirt, pulling him closer than he already was and pressed her lips onto his. After a few seconds, she pulled away, pushing her giggling down as she looked back at him. "If I had a choice, I'd marry you in a heartbeat."

"Why can't you choose? You love _me_, not _him._" Liz kissed him again.

"Because I'm a woman and I have no choice." she mumbled. He gently stroked his hair, cradling his jaw with her free hand. "I wish we could go back to when it was just you and I." Her hands slid to his chest, moving them up and down lightly; just enough to send him shivers. "Just you and me." she repeated in a hush whisper. She pressed her lips against his again, but this time, there was more intention behind it.

* * *

Something had changed in Liz that moment. The glimmer in her eye had faded into a seductive haze that lured Gilbert in. Her kisses became more and more passionate and her hands explored his whole body. "Liz, what are you…?" he asked, only to be hushed with another kissed. "You're getting married tomorrow!" he added, his voice muffled by the kiss. Liz smirked.

"I know." she replied, unbuttoning his shirt. "And for once, I don't care." Tugging on the shirt collar, Liz continued to kiss him as she slid his shirt off his shoulders. Gilbert, on the other hand, was still in shock; his arms went stiff against his sides, his eyes were wide and he wasn't sure what he was supposed to do. Liz paused, slowly meeting his panicked gaze and giggled. "You still have that adorable confused look." By this time, her hands had travelled down to his pants, exploring and groping what she could.

"E-Elizabeta," Gilbert stammered. "W-we s-shouldn't…I mean…I want…but…wedding…confusion." He was lost for words; what on earth was she thinking?! She was getting _married _tomorrow! Didn't she know that this was forbidden, that this was absurd? Liz's laugh grew louder and more seductive as she pulled his trousers off. Gilbert chocked and gasped, doing his best not to moan. "Liz…!"

"What?" she replied, torturing him with small kisses along his jaw line and neck. She pulled on his wrists, letting his hands rest on her breasts. Gilbert quickly closed his eyes shut. _Don't look, don't look, for Pete's sake Gilbert, don't look! _He chanted in his mind. "C'mon, don't tell you've never wanted to touch _these_. I've seen you sneak glances at them before."

"I shouldn't...!" he muttered.

"Gilbert, _look _at me." Liz released his wrists and cupped his face. "_Bitte?_" He knew the Hungarian's knowledge for German was limited, but she knew, just knew, that small little phrases would get him to do whatever she wanted. When he opened his eyes, he immediately stared at her breasts. As Liz slipped her arms out of the sleeves and allowed the dress to fall down to her ankles, he looked at her flat stomach, admired her subtle curves and her hips. She was grinning, he knew she was, and he pulled her close, yearning for her.

Liz giggled as she slipped her arms around Gilbert's neck. "You know, you're actually pretty attractive when you're not being an asshole." she whispered. "I forgot that I always had a little crush on you growing up." Gilbert raised his eyebrows in shock, but then smirked.

It was hard to believe that two childhood friends who were now adults stood before each other, tentative. Sooner or later, the two couldn't stop touching and groping each other, moans escaping their throats as both fought for dominance. Eventually, Gilbert relented and allowed Liz to straddle his hips, knowing that he'd get his way later.

There was no turning back.

* * *

"You should go home now; your family is probably freaking out by now." Gilbert muttered, gently twisting Liz's hair around his hand.

"They probably haven't even noticed my disappearance." Liz replied. She sat up and pulled her dress to her, standing up to get dressed. "I can't believe it's happening tomorrow."

"I can't believe you're marrying an Austrian tomorrow." Gilbert snickered. "You could've had the awesome me instead, but hey, whatever suits you." Liz laughed.

"You really don't like him, do you?" she asked, watching him getting dressed. "You hardly know him."

"I don't need to." he added, pulling his shirt over his head. "I just hope he takes care of you, that's all." They walked side by side to the entrance, Gilbert knocked the block blocking the doors and smiled. "I still think you're awesome. But not as awesome as me, of course." Liz smiled and took his hand, dragging him behind her. "So, tomorrow…?"

"_Ich heirate Roderich Edelstein und nach Österreich gehen._" Liz stated, trying to practice the German Roderich had taught her. Gilbert chuckled and shook his head.

"That was terrible!" he teased. "That's not how you pronounce that at all!" Liz frowned and punched him in the stomach.

"Roderich is helping me learn German." she defended. "Was it really that bad?"

"It was way too pointed, be a little softer when you say it next time, okay?" Gilbert leaned down to kiss her cheek. "So, I'm assuming you're moving to Vienna then. I would've never guessed."

"Yes," Liz answered, sighing. "Two days after the wedding." They stopped, faced each other, too afraid to bid their farewells. "We'll keep in touch, yes?" Gilbert nodded.

"_Natürlich_." They kissed for one last time, saddened that it all had to come to an end. Before Liz walked through her secret passage, Gilbert tugged her arm with a grin. "_Ich liebe dich._" Liz smiled softly and nodded.

"_Én is szeretlek._" Liz said, in her native language. She stepped into the forest and glanced back at him, winking, switching back to speaking in German. "_Und nie vergessen._"

* * *

**Translations:**

**_Ich heirate Roderich Edelstein und nach Osterreich gehen = _****I'm marrying Roderich Edelstein and going to Austria **

**_Ich liebe dich = _****I love you **

**_Naturlich = _****of course, naturally **

**_Und nie vergessen = _****And never forget **

**_En is szeretlek = _****I love you too**


	5. The Wedding

Roderich stood in the front of the church, head bowed, nervous. Of course, one should be nervous on their wedding day, but he felt as if he was extra nervous. He loved Elizabeta with all his heart, he truly did, but she had been strange the past few days. Her mind wasn't on the wedding at all; she was always talking about Gilbert. Gilbert this, Gilbert that; is Gilbert coming to the wedding? He hasn't written back yet? That's not like him. Roderich had gotten to the point where he had to ignore her completely when the topic of this 'Gilbert' came up. Roderich knew that Elizabeta and Gilbert had been friends since they were young, but it seemed a little silly to him. If he didn't know any better, he would've thought that Elizabeta _loved _this Gilbert.

The faint melody of Pachelbel's Canon began to play and the congregation stood up to turn to face the back of the church. Roderich smiled softly as he watched Elizabeta slowly process down the aisle, linked arm and arm with her father. Elizabeta's father nodded to Roderich, beaming, as Elizabeta gently pulled away and took her place next to Roderich. When it came to the point for reciting their vowels, Elizabeta seemed to be uncomfortable and anxious. Her eyes kept flickering over to the congregation, she fidgeted while Roderich spoke, biting her lip as she waited for something spontaneous to happen. Somewhat frustrated, Roderich leaned close to her ear to see what was wrong.

"Liebling, what's the matter?" he asked in a harsh whisper. Elizabeta winced at his harsh tone, and locked eyes with him.

"Nothing, I was just…hoping someone would show up today." she answered, looking down. Roderich frowned as he pulled away, a tiny noise of anger rumbling in his throat.

Gilbert.

"Can you just try to be happy for _us, _please?" he mumbled, glancing over at the priest who was giving them worried looks. "I don't know how many times I have to tell you; Gilbert is _not _coming." Elizabeta gave him a cold glare and nodded.

"Right," she said, loudly. "May we continue please? I believe it's my turn now." With a smile, the priest nodded and began repeating the words he announced for Roderich to her, pausing every now and then so she could say the words clearly. Once the vowels were said, the rings were exchanged and they were officially married. Roderich and Elizabeta walked down the aisle hand in hand, to the carriage that was waiting outside for them. Roderich opened the doors for his new wife, helping her climb in before following in after her. They both waved goodbye to everyone who before the doors closed and the carriage was off.

"Elizabeta," he said, kissing her hand lightly. "You know I love you and care about you dearly, but I want to make one thing clear between us." Elizabeta gulped, avoiding eye contact with him, already knowing what he was going to say. "I never want to hear another word about that cursed Gilbert ever again."

* * *

There was a soft knock on Gilbert's door. The sleeping albino groaned, throwing his blankets on the floor and shuffling to the door. "Gilbert!" Ludwig shouted, barging into his brother's room. "What the hell happened last night? Why didn't you come in right after us?" Gilbert smirked and chuckled.

"Nothing happened." he lied. "One of the horses was giving me trouble and I had to take care of it." Ludwig narrowed his eyes.

"You were gone for _three _hours. A horse that was giving you trouble wouldn't have taken that long to settle down." he snapped. "What were you doing?"

"Nothing! Mind your own damn business, Ludwig!" Gilbert shoved past his little brother to the hallway, only to find his grandfather standing in his way, arms crossed.

"You may get away with that kind of talk with your brother, but you're not going to get away with it with me." he said. "What was it that you were doing that kept you locked up in the stable for three hours, hmm?" Gilbert tried to back away, thinking he could just escape to his room, but he bumped into Ludwig instead. Both his brother and grandfather were giving the same, identical stern glare at him.

"Why is it that you two look exactly ali…wait a second, how did you know the door was locked?" he stammered, whipping his head back and forth to exchange glances.

"Grandpa went to go get you, but _someone_ blocked the door." Ludwig replied.

"Then…you already know?" His grandfather shook his head.

"No, I don't know. So, tell me; what was so damn important that had you locked up in the barn?" Gilbert pursed his lips, thinking up a lie, the best lie he could create.

"Well, Elizabeta came to say goodbye." he finally answered. "And…we ended up talking about…how awesome we are."

"You idiot! You slept with her, didn't you?" Ludwig hollered.

"More like she came over to sleep with me!" Gilbert spat back. "I wasn't going to but she…"

"I can't believe this." His grandfather muttered. "You used to be such a great kid, Gilbert, and now, you're nothing but a _dummkopf._" Ludwig grunted in agreement. "I forbid you to see Liz _ever _again, especially for your own selfish needs." Gilbert pressed his lips together in frustration and took a deep breath.

"It's not like I will see her again; after today, she's moving to Austria." Gilbert explained, crossing his arms. "After today, her life with Roderich begins and I'll never hear from her for the rest of my life."

"Good." Ludwig muttered. "She's caused you too much trouble than it's worth, Gilbert. It's best to move on and find someone else." The two almost identical men walked off, making their way to the downstairs area as Gilbert slouched against the wall.

"There is no one else." he murmured. "She's the only one."

* * *

Night had fallen by the time the new married couple had arrived at the inn. Between the two of them, Roderich and Elizabeta carried their belongings to their room and settled in. "What a day," Liz said, sitting down on the bed. "But it was exciting and most certainly the best day of my life." She smiled to her husband, who untying the bow tie around his neck. "We've got a hectic few days in front of us. We should get some rest." Liz reached for her luggage, pulling out a nightgown to change into. As she undressed, she felt Roderich's eyes on her, watching her as she slipped out of her dress. He cleared his throat as he scratched the back of his neck, blushing slightly. "Is there something wrong, Roderich?" Liz asked. "I can get dressed in the bathroom if you—"

"N-no, it's fine." he stated, smiling. He walked towards her, brushing some of her hair with the back of his hand."You're beautiful, liebling." Right then and there, Liz realized what was wrong. Sure, Roderich was handsome and very attractive, but Liz never looked at him in _that _way. She loved him dearly; he was kind, gentle, caring, but she didn't love him in _that _way. As Roderich pulled her close, taking the nightgown away from her and tossing it to the side, Liz lightly pushed him away. "What's wrong?"

"It's just…" she stammered, stepping back. "Shouldn't we wait until we're in Vienna? Once we're done moving and not tired…?" Roderich smiled faintly.

"We don't have to rush the moving if that's what you're worried about." he said. "If you're tired, we can rest for a day." Moving closer, Roderich wrapped his arms around Liz, kissing her cheek. He lifted her head up by pulling on her chin gently, locking his eyes with hers. "I've been waiting for this night, Elizabeta." He planted a few kisses along her neck, pulling her closer to the bed. "I love you very much, liebling."

"I-I love you too, Roderich." Liz replied, nervous. _This is wrong, all wrong. _She thought, landing softly on her back onto the bed. She made herself smile, but all she could think of was the night before, the _wonderful _night with Gilbert. As Roderich continued to touch her and kiss her all over her body, Liz could only think of Gilbert. Liz did her best to seem happy, to seem pleased, but it was all a lie. She only hoped that Roderich was happy; that was all that mattered.

When it was all over, Liz turned her back towards him, curling up in the blankets and sheets. Roderich draped his arm over her waist, curling up beside her. He fell asleep rather quickly, his breath deepening and his body relaxing. The Hungarian swallowed back her tears, biting her tongue.

This was all a mistake.

* * *

**Quick Note: This is another chapter I'm not too satisfied with, it seems a little too anti-climatic. I hope/promise that the future chapters will be much more eventful. Though, you can probably already figure out what's going to happen. Reviews and critiques are welcomed and very much appreciated! **


	6. Last Night for Fools

**Quick Note: I really. Hate. This. Chapter. I had it complete for a few days, trying to fix it but my brain just wasn't working. It's kind of sloppy and has no point to it, but I guess some stories have that in them. It's just...a terrible chapter and I'm sorry for it's crappiness. And this time, I mean it; the following chapters after this one will be much more exciting (I hope). Reviews and critiques are greatly appreciated! **

* * *

_8 months later_

It was a big day, a big day for Roderich, that is. He was finally going on tour for the first time with several other musicians to perform across Europe. Elizabeta was excited for him, but was nervous to be all alone in a huge manor like this, especially while she was pregnant. "You'll be safe out there, right?" she asked, watching the servants carry Roderich's luggage to the carriage.

"Of course, liebling!" Roderich answered. "Unfortunately I won't be back before our child is born, but nonetheless, I'll be back. As a proud musician and father." He kissed her on her forehead and patted the bump on her belly.

"Herr Edelstein, the carriage is loaded up and is ready to go." The driver announced.

"Right." Roderich answered, with a slight nod. He smiled again towards his wife. "Take care of yourself, liebling."

"I will." Liz replied, lowering her head. "I love you."

"_Ich liebe dich auch." _Roderich kissed her one last time and climbed up on the carriage. As Liz watched the carriage ride off, she patted her stomach, frowning.

"Oh Roderich," she whispered. "If only it was your child."

* * *

Depression was beginning to lurk around Gilbert as he worked around the farm. This had been the longest he had ever gone without seeing Liz, and it was starting to tear him apart on the inside. His love for her was still there in his heart, and he knew that he would always feel empty until he saw her again. A day didn't go by without Gilbert thinking of Elizabeta, what she had been up too, and what her marriage with that lame-o was like. She promised him a letter, but she left him hanging on the edge for months without one letter sent. If he could, Gilbert would write a letter to Liz in a heartbeat, but he had no idea what her address was.

During his usual afternoon break, Gilbert spotted the mail carrier making his way up the hill towards his family's little house. Feeling excitement flutter in his heart, Gilbert sprinted towards the small man, almost knocking him over. "It's about damn time you got here!" he shouted, startling the old man. Gilbert outstretched his hand, waiting for the man to hand him the mail.

"You, my sir, are probably the rudest man I've ever met in my life." The mail carrier murmured, shuffling through his bag. "I don't know what you're so impatient for; is there some letter that your life is dependent on?" _Yes, the girl I love promised to write to me and she hasn't. _Gilbert though, shifting side to side.

"Stop the shit talk, alright, and just give me the mail!" Gilbert yelled, furious. It was wrong to 'shoot the messenger'; Gilbert knew that the old man didn't deserve to be screamed at for something he wasn't even involved in, but it was 8 months now and he was through with being patient.

"Here you go, young man." The old man muttered, handing Gilbert a few envelopes. "Ain't much, but I hope whatever you're waiting for, is in there." Gilbert nodded and waved goodbye before running inside the house and looking through the envelopes.

Nothing. Nothing from Liz.

Broken-hearted, Gilbert slumped into a chair, dropping the envelopes on the floor beside him. "I know the mail is slow but," he muttered. "It shouldn't take eight months for it to send, right?" He slouched in his chair, pouting as he slowly leaned over to pick up the mail he dropped. "Has she forgotten about me? No, there's no way! I'm so awesome! I'm her friend! She loves me!" He paused. "At least I think she loves me."

* * *

She awoke with a pain in her stomach; Elizabeta sat up in her bed, screaming and with tears in her eyes from the excruciating pain. One of the maids came rushing through the door, holding a bunch of towels. "Frau Edelstein, is everything alright?" she asked, her eyes wide with worry. Elizabeta nodded, but let out another scream, letting the tears race down her face. "The baby…it must be early!" Liz shook her head.

"No! I'm only eight months…there's no way the baby is coming now!" she cried, wincing in pain.

"I've heard that sometimes babies come earlier than they're expected to be." The maid said, nodding. "I'll go tell someone to find the midwife. I'll be right back, Frau Edelstein; everything will be alright." The maid hurried out of the room, leaving Liz crying out in pain. Liz held onto her swollen stomach, telling herself to rest and relax at the best she could.

"Perhaps there is a chance that the baby will be Roderich's." she whispered to herself. "It would certainly make things easier for me…for us." Another wave of pain crash over her, causing her to cry out and hug her sheets; tears raced down her cheeks as she bit down on her fist. Elizabeta heard footsteps rush back into the room and the maid rubbed her back.

"The midwife is on her way," she said. "It'll be an hour or so, so hang in there." The maid's voice was muffled from Liz's cries and wails, but also Liz couldn't understand her because she only spoke in German. In Liz's state of mind, she didn't have the strength to try to understand what the maid had told her.

"Could you repeat that?" she murmured. "_Auf Englisch_?" The maid gave her a strange look, but shook her head, indicating she couldn't speak English. Liz winced as the pain subsided, and she relaxed a little.

"I'll go get a pail of water and washcloth for you, Frau." she said quickly, bowing before exiting.

"W-wait!" Liz called, reaching out. She frowned, laying her head against the cold pillow behind her. As much as she could, Liz curled up, wrapping the blankets around her to fill in the empty gap in her heart. She wished she didn't have to go through with this alone, she wished she could have someone's hand to hold onto; she was scared. She sniffed and closed her eyes, bracing herself for another wave of pain.

* * *

The grandfather clock in the living room struck at nine o' clock as Gilbert snuck down the rickety stairs and snatched his jacket off of the coat hanger. The door swung open as he shuffled out into the night to meet with some old friends. Next to Liz, Antonio and Francis were Gilbert's second closest friends. Once a month, they would meet at the pub and drink away the night, sloppily flirt with the girls and barmaids and stumble their way home. With Liz gone, Gilbert couldn't wait to get away from the dingy farm house he lived in with his family and rant to his friends about his life; even if he was drunk as a lard doing so.

"_Buenas noches,_ Gilbert!" Antonio greeted, waving. He and Francis were leaning against the walls of the building, waiting for Gilbert to step in front of them. "It's been a long time, _mi amigo_. How are you doing?" Gilbert simply shrugged and stared at the entrance.

"I'll tell you once we're inside." he replied. "Life's been a little too interesting for me lately."

"I thought you always complained that your life was too boring, Gil." Francis remarked, following Gilbert into the pub.

"I guess you should always be careful with what you wish for." Gilbert mumbled, sitting down at the bar. "Before I go off and tell you two my sob stories, how have you guys been?" The bartender, recognizing them from previous visits, smiled at them and poured them their favorite drinks.

"Just the usual." Francis muttered, staring at his cup. "Though, I must say I'm a little more interested in what you have to tell us, Gilbert." Antonio nodded in agreement. "How little miss Liz doing? Have you heard from her?" Gilbert sighed, closing his eyes to hide his pain.

"No." he answered simply. He took a sip of his beer, letting his thoughts gather before he dared to speak again.

"She got married to…what was his name again?" Antonio asked, drumming his fingers against the bar.

"Roderich Edelstein!" Francis finished for him, sighing dreamily. "What a handsome man indeed! He's famous now, you know." Antonio gasped in shock.

"Really? No way!" he cheered, smiling. "That's amazing. It must be great to be married to someone who's well known." Gilbert grunted, indicating his annoyance with his friend as he slid his beer to the side. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"What do you think is wrong?" Gilbert snapped. He slumped in his seat, pushing the handle of his beer mug back and forth with his finger. "Liz promised me should write letters to me once she was settled in Vienna and it's been eight months; how much longer do I have to wait?"

"Oh, it's going to be one of _those _nights." Antonio mumbled to Francis, covering his mouth slightly so Gilbert wouldn't hear. "Gilbert, when are you going to let it go, eh? There're plenty of other women out there for the picking!" Gilbert sat up, glaring at his friends and sticking out his bottom lip in a pout. Francis stretched out his arms and nodded in agreement.

"Antonio's right, _mon ami, _just look around you! We're in a pub for crying out loud; there's girl's everywhere!" he said, smiling. Gilbert groaned, rubbing his face with his palm.

"It's not that simple, Francis." Gilbert mumbled, slouching even more.

"Sure it is," Francis corrected, standing up. He pulled Gilbert up by the arms, dragging him out of his seat. "Up, up, up! We're going to find you a lady friend for the night! Come on!"

"Dammit, Francis! That's not going to fix anything!" Gilbert protested, pulling away. Both of his friends chuckled, exchanging worried glances at each other.

"We're only trying to help, Gil." Francis said, putting his hands on his hips. "You've been depressed about this for months now, a year!"

"And the three of us know how bad you get when you're depressed _and _drunk." Antonio added. "Think about how much of a mess you were when Liz rejected you at that ball. Don't go back into the darkness you were in all those months ago, _amigo_."

"It's time to move on! Yes, you may have lost a friend that was very dear to you, and that doesn't mean you still care about her; but you can't mope for the rest of your life because of her." Francis continued, draping his arm on Gilbert's shoulder. He gestured to a group of girls sitting a table. "Look, why don't you go introduce yourself to those beautiful young ladies over there. Nothing has to happen between you, but just say hello; put yourself out there!"

"B-but—"

"No buts! Just go!" Francis gave a reassuring push to Gilbert, sending him forward and tripping over his own feet. Glancing over his shoulder, Gilbert grumbled under his breath as he hesitantly made his way over to the table. The group of girls looked up at him, almost seeming like they were glaring at him for even walking over towards them. After standing there for a few awkward moments, Gilbert turned back around, sulking back over to his seat and chugging down a beer. "You're hopeless!" Francis cried, smacking his forehead. "Watch and learn!" Francis marched away, turning into is typical suave self as he introduced himself to the girls at the table.

"Don't mind him, Gilbert. Not everyone can as flirtatious as he is." Antonio said, leaning back. "Don't worry, we'll find someone for you; but for now, let's just have a few drinks and not worry about our love lives, then. How about a song, eh? Know any good drinking songs?" Gilbert thought for a moment, and shrugged. "C'mon! We've sung loads of drinking songs before, why is this time any different?" Smirking, Gilbert chuckled.

"'Cause I'm not drunk enough yet."

* * *

"Relax, Frau. The midwife should be here soon." she said, soothingly. The pain was absolutely unbearable; Liz knew her contractions had been more and more frequent in the past hour; one right after the other. She knew the baby was ready; she just prayed that maybe, _maybe_, the child looked similar to Roderich. The maid dampened the cloth again, draping it over Elizabeta's forehead and holding her hand. The door swung open and a woman in her late 40s rushed in, glancing over at the maid.

"I'm sorry; I came here as fast as I could." The midwife announced. "How far off is she?"

"I think she is ready." The maid muttered, giving a concerned look to Elizabeta. "It'll all be over soon, Frau." The midwife nodded, kneeling down on the floor.

"Just get it out of me!" Liz cried, wincing.

_"Toll_. Frau Edelstein, I'm going to need you to push!" she called. Liz squeezed the maid's hand, screaming in pain as she did what the midwife ordered her to do. "You're doing great, Elizabeta! Keep pushing!" Elizabeta cried out in pain, only to be silenced as she heard the faint cry of a newborn and a wave of relief blanketed over her. Elizabeta lied back against the pillows, closing her eyes as she tried to catch her breath, hearing the maid and the midwife talk in hushed voices. Sooner or later, Liz heard the midwife's footsteps come closer to her. Liz opened her eyes to see her smiling, holding the newborn in her arms. "It's a boy! Congratulations!" she cheered. "He seems to be healthy, so you have nothing to worry about." She handed Liz her son, smiling and saying her goodbyes and exited. Elizabeta cradled her son, delighted at first, but frowned.

Light, soft, feathery blonde hair sat atop her newborn son's head. He looked up at her with bluish-greenish eyes, balling up his tiny hands into fists, cooing. Elizabeta sighed; she knew no one in Roderich's family had blonde hair, or had the trait of blue eyes for that matter. But Gilbert's family did. How would she explain all of this to Roderich?

The maid stood next to Liz, a nervous smile spread across her face, and leaned down to get a better look at the child. "Congratulations, Frau." she exclaimed. "He's a beautiful baby boy; what will you name him?" Liz smiled, watching her son slowly close his eyes, nodding off.

"I think I'll name him Heinrich." Liz answered, kissing her son's forehead.

"Why Heinrich?" the maid asked, sitting on the edge of the bed. Liz's smile grew wider, as she swayed back and forth.

"It's a name a friend and I have always liked."

* * *

The trio stumbled out of the pub around midnight, wrapping their arms around each other's shoulders, supporting each other's weight. Gilbert, being the most drunk out of the three, mostly slumped against his friends, letting them drag him along the way. "You guys are the best." he stated, slurring his words together. He started laughing loudly, his cackling voice echoing off of the houses. "I don't know what I'd do without you." Antonio grinned.

"Think he's had a bit much, Francis?" he asked, quietly. Francis chuckled, pulling Gilbert up by the arm.

"He certainly knows when to overdo it." Francis answered. "Don't worry; we'll get him home safe a sound. The only thing we'll have to be afraid of is his grandfather or Ludwig yelling at us for being terrible influences on him." Antonio rolled his eyes.

"We could do what we did the last time; threw him on the front porch and run away before we're seen?" he suggested, jokingly. "But I don't think he can stand on his own two feet much longer. We better hurry."

"My best friends!" Gilbert sang, off key. "My best, best, best, best friends. Though, you guys still aren't as awesome as me. There are only two people on this earth that are awesome and that's me…" He paused, hiccupping and swaying a bit. "And Lizzz." Gilbert smirked. "You guys are close seconds though."

"Sheesh, he really never stops talking about her, does he?" Antonio complained. "We filled him up with beer, watched him dance around like an idiot and he somehow ended up sticking his face in some girl's chest, yet he still talks about Elizabeta. I don't get it." Francis chuckled.

"What can we do? He hopelessly loves her." he remarked. "Poor guy though, she doesn't love him back."

"Shut up, loser!" Gilbert shouted. "She does love me! If she didn't love me, she wouldn't have come all the way to my dingy house to say goodbye and have sex with me!" Antonio and Francis simultaneously stopped and stared at their drunken friend. "Hey, why'd we stop?"

"Hold on a minute, Gilbert," Francis muttered. "You mean to tell us that you and Liz slept together?" Gilbert nodded, shooting him with a smug grin. Before Francis could say anything else, Antonio tugged on Gilbert's arm, dragging him further.

"C'mon, he's just talking out of his ass now. You know how much he likes to brag about nonsense." he grumbled. "Let's go, Gilbert. We're almost to your house." The three walked up the hill, Gilbert tripping over what seemed to be air and they knocked on the door. Gilbert's younger brother answered the door, giving them his signature scowl as usual.

"LUDWIG!" Gilbert cheered, falling on top of his brother. "It's past your bedtime, baby brother! You should be sleeping!" Ludwig support his brother by pushing him, guiding him over to a chair. "My baby brother should be sleeping…sleeping like a little, bitty baby."

"I'm not a little kid anymore, Gilbert." Ludwig grumbled, straightening his back to look at Gilbert's friends. "Why can't you guys do something a little bit less self degrading when you hang out?"

"There's nothing wrong with getting drunk every now and then." Francis answered, waving his hand in the air. "Besides, Gilbert needs a break from living in this grey house with you and your boring grandfather; he's much more interesting and lively then the two of you." Ludwig gave Francis a glare before turning back around to face his brother. "We're just trying to support him, unlike _you._"

"Taking my brother out to the pub to get so drunk that he can barely see straight is _not _supporting him in any way, shape or form!" Ludwig shouted. "Now, why don't you two get your smug faces out of this house! You've had your fun, _geh weg!_" Francis and Antonio exchanged glances with one another before turning away and leaving the house.

"We'll see you later, Gilbert! In a few weeks, okay?" Antonio said, waving. "Try to chipper up; everything between you and Liz will alright!" Sluggishly, Gilbert waved back before falling off of his chair. Ludwig sighed with frustration, lifting his brother up and supporting his weight on his shoulders.

"Why can't you seem to keep your head straight, Gilbert?" Ludwig asked, softly. He carried his brother up the staircase, leading him to his bedroom and let him drop to his bed. Before leaving, Ludwig made sure Gilbert was settled in his bed and asleep. As the door clicked shut behind him, Ludwig muttered to himself: "I just wish you'd talk to me, Gil. I'm here for you."


	7. Keeping the Secret

Elizabeta hummed sweetly as she rocked back and forth in the rocking chair, cradling Heinrich. She had finished feeding him, and was reading over the letter she had written carefully for Roderich. It was a short letter, since Liz did not want to tell Roderich the truth through a simple letter; that would be childish. The maid pushed the door open with her back, holding a tray of tea cups, and smiled. "Good afternoon, Frau; I thought you would like some tea." she offered, softly. "I can take Heinrich to the nursery, if you'd like." Liz shook her head, taking a tea cup off of the tray.

"No, it's fine." she answered. "Holding him while he's asleep doesn't bother me. It's actually somewhat relaxing to watch him sleep." The maid nodded, glancing over at the letter.

"May I read over your letter to Herr Roderich?" the maid asked. Liz bit her lip, hesitating, and handed the letter to her. Turning away, Liz resumed rocking back and forth in the chair, waiting for the maid's response. The maid cleared her throat, handing the note back to Liz. "It's rather short; don't you want to tell him the child's name and such?" Liz sighed.

"He won't…be seeing Heinrich." she answered. The maid drew in a quick breath, giving Liz a concerned, blank stare. "It's a complicated story that I don't want to talk about right now. I've already packed up this morning and I'm leaving tonight to give Heinrich to his father."

"You mean…?" the maid gasped. "Oh Frau, how could you? What will Herr Roderich say?" Liz shrugged as she stood up, kissing Heinrich's head.

"I'll think of something, in the mean time, could you address the letter and send it. I want Roderich to receive the letter as soon as possible." Liz remarked, walking out of the room, turning towards the nursery. She continued to hum Hungarian lullabies her mother had taught her and placed him gently in his crib. "Just you wait, Heinrich," she whispered, brushing his soft hair back. "In a few weeks, you'll get to meet your _Vati_. He'll love you, I promise." She felt her heart sink. "I wish it didn't have to be this way, but—" Her voice faded away as she leaned away, pulling the small blanket over Heinrich. "I have no other choice."

* * *

"_Wach auf!_" Gilbert heard his grandfather shouting, stomping into his room. "Gilbert! Wake up! You're going to be late for your new job!" Confused, Gilbert sat up quickly, throwing the blanket off of him.

"My new job?" Gilbert asked. "What job? You mean I'm not working on the farm anymore?" He rubbed his eyes as he stood up.

"That's right; I'm sick of you goofing around when you should be helping your brother with the fields and the animals and you coming home extremely drunk, causing a commotion when you step into this house." his grandfather explained. "You need to learn how to be responsible; I'm not going to allow you to live here all your life." Gilbert snatched the shirt he wore the night before that was sitting on the dresser and pulled it over his head.

"Where the hell am I working, then? If I'm going to be some stupid paperboy, you can count me out." Gilbert snapped, walking out of the room.

"You'll be working for the newspaper company, yes, but you'll be helping with the printing presses." His grandfather answered. "They wanted a journalist really, but I figured you were too stupid to do something like that." Gilbert crossed his arms.

"Hey, I'm not _that _stupid!" he defended. His grandfather shrugged, walking past his grandson.

"You certainly aren't the brightest person." he remarked. "Clean yourself up and come downstairs for breakfast. Your hardboiled egg is getting cold." Gilbert reluctantly closed the bathroom door behind him and scratched his chin. There was some stubble the covered his jaw line, but it wasn't something that one swipe of the razor couldn't fix. He quickly washed his face and shaved, patting his face dry with a towel. Slowly, he moved back to his room in search for a nicer shirt than what he was already wearing. "Gilbert! I told you to hurry up, not take your damn time!" Sighing with frustration, Gilbert stepped out of his room and hurried down the staircase.

"Is this nice enough for my first day of work?" he asked, outstretching his arms and spinning around.

"You should wear a suit." Ludwig mumbled, taking a bite of his egg.

"I'm working with the press; no one is going to see me." Gilbert snapped.

"First impressions are always important." His grandfather remarked. "You don't want your boss to think you're some drunken slob. Why don't you go upstairs to my room and borrow one of my old suits?" Gilbert grumbled under his breath, plodding back up the steps to his grandfather's room, throwing clothes everywhere. Every single piece of clothing he tried on, Gilbert realized how much smaller he was compared to his grandfather. His shoulders did not fill the shirt at all, leaving the sleeves to drape of his hands. The pant legs were too long as well, which made Gilbert trip when he walked.

"So much for first impressions." he muttered, changing back into his first outfit. As he walked back down the stairs, he felt his grandfather glaring at him. "Nothing really fit," Gilbert announced, heading towards the door. "So I guess this outfit will have to do for now! See you later, losers!" Before his grandfather could protest, Gilbert slammed the door behind him and proudly walked into town.

* * *

"Are you sure you want to do this, Frau? I'm sure there are other ways you can handle this situation." The maid asked, shoving the last of the luggage on the carriage. "What makes you think this Gilbert is going to take care of Heinrich? What will you do if he says no?" Liz leaned back in her seat in the carriage, gently rocking her son to sleep. When Liz didn't answer, the maid shook her head and sighed in disbelief. "Can't you think about how Herr Roderich will think about all of this? You're only making things worse for yourself."

"Could you stop doubting me for a second and let me do what I need to do?" Liz snapped. "First of all, you don't know anything about Gilbert; he may be an ass most of the time, but he has a heart. He'll take one look at Heinrich and will be perfectly fine raising his son." The maid continued to shake her head.

"You've got a huge mess to clean up, Frau." she mumbled, walking away. "I wish that you arrive to your destination safely." She paused. "S-should I get rid of what's left in little Heinrich's room, then?" Liz shook her head.

"No, not all of it." Liz murmured. "I'm sure Roderich will want to try again after everything is settled." Reaching for the door handle, Liz nodded and gently closed the door shut, doing her best to not wake the sleeping child. Heinrich stirred, whimpering and turning his face towards his mother. "Shh, everything's going to be alright, Heinrich." she soothed, kissing his forehead. "Everything's going to be alright."

* * *

Gilbert sat patiently in the lounge of the news publishing company, waiting for someone to call his name and introduce him to the works. He had been waiting for several minutes, beginning to feel bored as he played with a hole that was on the side of his pants. "Ah, you must be Gilbert." A soft voice stated. Gilbert glanced up to see an extremely tall man standing before him, his neck wrapped up in a scarf. "I am sorry that I am running a little late, but please, do come in." The man turned away, walking to the door that was almost hidden to the side. Gilbert quickly stood up and followed him, stepping into the small office. "It is great to have another person working with the press; it is a lot of work to get those machines running."

"Yeah, about that," Gilbert began, his voice trailing off. "I didn't really want this job; my grandfather kind of signed me up for it so I was wondering if you could let me off the hook so I can go back working on the farm." The man only smiled, nodding his head.

"I don't think I introduced myself to you, Gilbert. My name is Ivan Braginski, and I'm the owner of this company." The man introduced, ignoring every word Gilbert had just said. "I guess I should skip the formal talk and give you a tour." Gilbert narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms against his chest.

"_Entschuldigung, _did you not just hear a word I said?" he asked, sternly. "I don't want to work here!" Ivan kept his creepy, child-like smile plastered on his face as he reached for the door handle.

"This way, please." he said. "The tour won't be long; I'll have you working at the press in no time." Gilbert let out a sigh filled with frustration, reluctantly following Ivan out of the office. They stepped into a room that was filled with huge, odd looking machines that were shooting out dozens of newspapers in a few minutes. "First things first, this is the press room, where you'll be working. This is where all of the papers are printed after all of the editors and journalist's hard work is done."

"That's great." Gilbert mumbled. "Now, about me not working here,"

"I suppose I should tell you about how many hours you'll be working for and how many holidays you're limited to." Ivan added. "You will be here at 6:30 in the morning, and will go home at 4:30 in the evening."

"That's almost twelve hours!" Gilbert shouted. "That's insane; you seriously can't expect me to work that long!"

"Oh, and you get a five minute break every five hours." he continued. "That's a plus, because it used to be three minutes." Gilbert glared at the man, biting his tongue to stop himself from saying something rude and vulgar.

"Alright then, what holidays to I have off?" Gilbert asked, after cooling off a bit.

"Christmas and Easter." Ivan answered, with a small nod. "I am thinking that is all you need to know. Why don't you go introduce yourself to your co-workers and make some friends? I'll be in my office if you need any questions."

"W-wait, I thought you were giving me a tour!?" Gilbert yelled after him. "And I have no idea how to work these machines!" Ivan turned slightly, giving Gilbert another creepy grin.

"I did give you a tour; this room is the only room you need to know about, _da_?" Ivan replied.

"What about lunch? Do I get a lunch break?" Gilbert questioned.

"You get a break every five hours. Besides, you should always eat a big, hearty breakfast before work." he added. "Well, have fun working." With that, Ivan closed the door behind him, leaving Gilbert standing in the work room in confusion.

* * *

_Few weeks later _

Roderich stood in front of the audience, giving his final bow with a bright smile. His second to last concert went well; it was probably one of his most successful performances. His trio played flawlessly in the first half, and in the second half, Roderich didn't miss a single note while playing from memory. He stepped off of the stage proudly, to be greeted by one of the stage crew workers. "Herr Edelstein, this letter just arrived for you." The worker said. "It's from your wife."

"_Danke_." Roderich replied, beaming. He carefully opened the envelope, pulling out the small letter to see fine, delicate handwriting inside.

_Dearest Roderich,_

_I am writing to you to tell you that I have given birth to our child on the night that you departed. The child seems perfectly healthy, and I wait for you to come home from your tour, safe and sound. _

_Liebe, Elizabeta_

Roderich's face fell as he read the small letter over and over, believing there was something missing. It was awfully short considering Elizabeta was announcing the birth of their newborn child; she didn't mention anything. The name, the gender; nothing. "Is something wrong, Herr?" the worker asked, peering over Roderich's shoulder to glance at the letter.

"N-no, everything's fine." Roderich reassured. "It's just a strange letter, is all." The worker smiled.

"Well, congratulations, Herr Edelstein; being a father is a great feeling, but it comes with a lot of responsibility." he said. "I wish you the best of luck." Roderich nodded as he watched the worker walk away, stuffing the letter into his pocket. He knew something wasn't right about Elizabeta's letter; it was too short, too brief. A quick thought of Elizabeta's obsession with 'Gilbert' crossed Roderich's mind, but as quickly as it came, I was gone.

She wouldn't, she _couldn't_.

"I'm sick of Elizabeta keeping secrets from me," Roderich muttered to himself, walking to the green room. "I'll get to the bottom of this once and for all."


	8. Broken Family

**Author's Note: I feel that this chapter is a little choppy (as well as the previous chapter...I forgot to put in my own 2 cents in the last chapter), and I apologize. And I apologize for the extreme cheesy ending line of this chapter. I really could not find any other way to wrap it up so yeah. For those who are waiting to read/see Roderich's reaction to this situation, you'll have to wait one more chapter (sorry! Hopefully it will be posted soon enough). **

**Reviews and critiques are welcomed and very much appreciated! **

* * *

After several days of almost cutting his own hand off and being severely injured, Gilbert was finally getting the hang of working with the printing presses (no thanks to his boss). His co-workers were odd, but friendly enough to help and support him when he needed it. By the time he would leave work, Gilbert would drag himself back to his house, falling onto the couch in the living room, taking a quick nap until dinner time. Gilbert's grandfather seemed to keep off of his back now; Gilbert wasn't exactly sure what his grandfather thought of him now that he was working all the time, he could only hope that his grandfather was proud of him.

As Gilbert was preparing to leave the printing company, he felt someone pull him back on the shoulder. "Oh, um, _guten Abend_, Ivan." Gilbert muttered, doing his best to smile. "Is there a problem? Did I do something wrong?"

"No, I wanted to give you your pay for the week." Ivan replied, handing Gilbert a small envelope. "Your contribution to this company is very much appreciated, Gilbert. Have a good night." Ivan's smile brightened as he pushed past Gilbert to the door, disappearing around the corner. Gilbert shook his head, ripping the envelope open and muttered to himself. _He certainly is a strange person. _Gilbert thought, counting the small amount of money he had received for his extensive, hard work. Knowing that complaining about his small pay would get him nowhere; Gilbert shoved the money in his pocket and made his way home.

Opening the front door, Gilbert found his younger brother and friend in the kitchen doing their best to cook whatever it was they were making for dinner. "Ludwig, I told you that we could just make…" Feliciano complained, accidentally dropping a few potatoes on the floor. "There are other recipes out that are easier than…than whatever it is we're making."

"We're not making pasta, Feli." Ludwig grumbled. "Grandpa said he wanted _sauerkraut _and _knödel_, so that's what we're making."

"Hey losers," Gilbert shouted, kicking the door shut behind him. "Why are you in the kitchen? Where's grandpa?" Ludwig wiped the flour off of his hands and sighed.

"Grandpa fell off one of the horses today and threw out his back. I told him he at least needs to stay in bed for the rest of the night." Ludwig answered. "You know how stubborn he is."

"So you two are cooking dinner, then?" Gilbert asked, crossing his arms. "Well, since it's not me cooking and I know the food won't be awesome, I'll just go upstairs and take a nap."

"Can I take one too?" Feliciano asked.

"You slept under a tree, all day!" Ludwig yelled. "You're staying here!" He glanced over at his brother. "Don't sleep for too long; I'm not screaming at you just to wake up for dinner time. If you miss it, then don't come crying to me that Feliciano ate your portions." Gilbert waved his hand at his brother, chuckling.

"Whatever; I'll just make my own food then." he replied. "I don't need your lousy cooking." Halfway up the steps, Gilbert paused, turning a bit. "Hey Ludwig; can I ask you a quick question?" Ludwig nodded, cringing at the sound of pots and pans falling down from the top cabinet in the kitchen. "The mail today…was there anything for me?" Ludwig solemnly shook his head.

"_Nichts._" he answered. "Face it Gil, she's not going to write you a letter." Gilbert hung his head low, pouting.

"You're probably right." he muttered. "You're probably right."

* * *

After several weeks of travelling, sleeping in low quality inns and taking care of a newborn, Elizabeta finally arrived to her hometown; where she grew up and where Gilbert still lived. The carriage stopped at the bottom of the hill of the quaint house, bringing a soft smile to Elizabeta's face. The carriage driver opened the door, allowing Elizabeta to carefully step off and walk up the hill. _This is it, Liz. Yours, Gilbert's and Heinrich's lives will be changed forever after tonight. _Taking a deep breath as she stopped in front of the door, Liz knocked on the door with confidence. It swung open, revealing Feliciano on the other side. "_Buonasera, _Elizabeta!" he cheered. "It's so nice to see you again! Is that a baby? How old is he? Or is it a girl? I didn't know you and Roderich were planning to have children so soon!" Feliciano spun around. "Hey Ludwig! Look who's here!" He then stepped aside to let Liz inside as Ludwig plodded out of the kitchen. With on glance, his eyes widened.

"_Mein Gott_, don't tell me…" he began. Liz only nodded, keeping a sullen face. "_Scheisse_, Gilbert! _Scheisse_!"

"What's going on? Is something wrong?" Feliciano questioned, exchanging glances with the two. He caught another glimpse of Heinrich and frowned, suddenly realizing. "The baby…Roderich's not the father, is he?"

"No." Liz muttered. "Where's Gilbert? I _need _to speak to him." Ludwig shook his head.

"You have to get out of here _now_!" he yelled, pointing to the door. "You should've never come here to say 'goodbye' to Gilbert all those months ago! You've caused nothing but heartache and confusion to him! And this…"

"He's the father! He has the right to at least see his son!" Elizabeta shouted in defense.

"No, you realize you've made a terrible mistake and you're just going to leave your mess with Gilbert in attempt to cover it up! Aren't you?" Liz bit down on her lip.

"That's…y-you don't understand, Ludwig!"

"Everyone stop shouting!" Feliciano begged. "Please? The baby…"

"Liz, just leave!" Ludwig spat. There were sudden footsteps running down the rickety staircase as they turned to see Gilbert behind them.

"Hey! What's all this yelling for, huh?" he asked, rubbing the back of his neck. He froze as he met Elizabeta's gaze. "Liz?" Liz gave him a sad smile as she walked towards him.

"Gilbert, I…" she started. She could feel Ludwig's glaring at her, almost as if he were shooting her with arrows. There was something she thought was odd about Ludwig's and Gilbert's relationship; weren't older brothers supposed to protect and look after the younger brother? Not the opposite?

"What's this?" Gilbert asked, pointing to the sleeping child in her arms.

"Don't be rude! He's a human, y'know." Elizabeta corrected. "His name is Heinrich."

"That's sweet." Gilbert replied, shrugging. "But why are you here? Do you have any idea how long I've been waiting for you to send a letter? I was worried you had forgotten about me! And how could you? I'm awe—" He paused, listening to the sudden silence that had fallen in the room. Feliciano shifted back and forth awkwardly while Ludwig stood in a cold stare, arms crossed against his chest. "Why are all of you so quiet? It's not like it's my kid!" He laughed, shaking his head. Gilbert stopped once he saw no one was laughing with him. "What? Is there something I don't know? Stop hiding secrets from me!" Gilbert looked at Liz again, his eyes widening.

"Gilbert, we should talk." Liz said, reaching for his hand. Gilbert pulled his hand away from her, backing away. "Gilbert, please!" She could hear his breathing grow faster and heavy as she watched him tremble. "Please, just let me talk to you!" Liz did her best to calm him down, but he refused to stay still. Gilbert tripped over his own feet and fell, slamming his head against the dining table, leaving everyone screaming his name and rushing to his aide.

* * *

His head was throbbing greatly, there was this loud ringing pitch that echoed in his ears and he was drenched in his sweat. He felt someone brushing his hair back softly with the tips of their fingers, pleading to him to wake up. What had happened again? There was a baby…and Liz…she was in the house not to announce her happiness but her sorrow. The sorrow of her, _their_, mistake; the baby wasn't Roderich's; it was _Gilbert's_.

"Gilbert, wake up, please." He heard her whispering. "Heinrich needs you. I need you." Gilbert slowly opened his eyes, his vision blurred slightly from being unconscious. As his sight focused, he saw Liz smiling with relief, sitting next to him in his room. "_Hála Istennek._" She breathed in her native tongue. "You scared me, Gil." Gilbert swallowed as he tried to sit up. "No, no, stay still. Your head…you've got quite a bump."

"I-it…he can't be mine." he muttered. Liz bit her lip and sighed.

"I prayed and prayed that he wasn't, but I saw the blonde hair…the bluish-hue in his eyes." she mumbled. "I know no one in Roderich's family has blonde hair or…"

"But even I don't look like that!" Gilbert shouted, wincing at his own voice.

"That's because you're…different." Liz said, resting her hand on his arm. "Everyone in your family has a certain look to them."

"How can you be so sure that he's not Roderich's? Didn't you two…you had to of…you're married." Gilbert asked. Liz blushed lightly and sighed.

"Yes, but _we _did first." Gilbert gulped. "Gilbert, I can't keep him. Roderich will have my head if I…"

"You can't lie to him, Liz. Whatever you do, don't lie to him." he murmured. "He believed that he was the father and…this will crush him."

"Not only that, but if my parents find out, they'll be ashamed of me for life. But, Roderich doesn't have to know." Liz said. "Not if I claim that Heinrich fell ill and—"

"Roderich may be a pussy but he's not stupid, Liz." Gilbert turned his head slightly only to be overwhelmed with a wave of pain and dizziness. He groaned, holding his head.

"I told you to stay still!" Liz scolded.

"Where's the baby?" Gilbert questioned.

"_Heinrich._" Liz corrected. "His name is Heinrich, and Feliciano offered to hold him while Ludwig and I carried you up the stairs."

"Let me hold him." Liz' eyes widened as she scowled.

"You're in no condition to hold a baby!" she said, raising her voice. "You can barely keep your head up!"

"Just let me see him!" he snapped back, wincing again. "If I'm going to be taking care of him, I'll have to fight through the pain, won't I?" Gilbert swung his legs to the side of the bed, groaning as his head throbbed and carefully stood up. He ignored the fact that the room was spinning and shuffled to the door. "See, I can hold myself up." Shaking her head, Liz followed close behind him, eventually holding onto his arm so he wouldn't fall down the stairs.

Ludwig and Feliciano were sitting in the living room, with Feli sitting in the old rocking chair that Gilbert and Ludwig's mother used to sit in, humming so Heinrich could sleep peacefully. "Let me hold him, Feli." Gilbert said, trying to sound as if he weren't in pain.

"Not while you're standing!" Liz cried. Gilbert rolled his eyes.

"Fine, then let me sit there." he added.

"_No_, in a _sturdy _chair; not a rocking one!" She gave a quick glare to Ludwig. "Let Gil sit there so he can hold Heinrich." Ludwig grumbled to himself, in German, as he stood up and left to go outside. Feliciano carefully handed Heinrich to Liz, who then handed him to Gilbert once he sat down and the spinning passed.

"He's so small." Gilbert commented.

"He's a baby, what'd you expect?!" Feliciano remarked, grinning. "I thought he would cry more but he slept the whole time Gilbert was passed out!" Gilbert smiled tenderly at his son, feeling proud, despite the situation. Heinrich did have the typical 'Beilschmidt' look to him, but he was different from how Gilbert remembered Ludwig looking when he was born. Ludwig was almost born naturally with a glare in his eyes, while Heinrich seemed innocent and calm. Gilbert sighed. _You're not going to be like us Beilschmidts; I won't allow it. _He thought. _You'll be more like your mother; a Héderváry._

Heinrich stirred in his sleep, scrunching up his nose, letting out a small cry. Surprised, Gilbert frowned and looked frantically at Liz. "I didn't mean to…" he began. "I don't know what I did wrong!" Liz giggled.

"You didn't do anything wrong, Gilbert." Liz said, smiling. "He probably just needs a diaper change." She carefully picked up Heinrich out of Gilbert's arms, kissing his forehead. "I'll change him, and then I'll have to be on my way."

"It must've been a long trip from Vienna to here, Elizabeta!" Feliciano chirped. "Why don't you stay for the night? I'm sure Gilbert would like that!" Liz smiled softly as she gently laid her son on the floor to change him.

"One night won't really hurt, Liz." Gilbert agreed. "You just got here and well, it's so nice to see you again."

"I, for one, think she should leave." Ludwig announced. He slammed the door shut as he stepped back inside, crossing his arms. "You've caused enough trouble and heartache in this household as it is, _Elizabeta_. It would be best if you left as soon as possible."

"Oh, _komm schon_, Ludwig!" Gilbert protested. "Liz literally just got here! Let her stay! She needs rest before she travels back to Vienna. Besides, I'm in no condition to take care of a baby for the night."

"There's an inn nearby, she can stay there." Ludwig snapped. The albino rolled his eyes.

"Stop being rude, _brüder_; Liz is staying here just for the night!" Elizabeta cleared her throat, holding her son close. She frowned, taking a deep breath.

"It's clear to me that I'm not welcomed here." she stated. "As much as I'd love to stay, Gilbert, I have to leave." Gilbert tried to stand up in protest, which only resulted in him falling back into the chair, groaning and holding his head. He turned to glare at his brother with animosity.

"Ludwig, you can't be serious about this." he pleaded. "Please, she's exhausted! And she spent enough money as it is travelling here! The least we can do is let her stay here for the night. She can sleep in my bed!"

"She's married to a rich man, she'll be just fine." Ludwig grumbled. "She came here to drop off the baby, which she has done, so now it's time for her to leave for good."

"That's not what I came here to do!" Liz defended. "I-I wanted to show Gilbert his first born son!"

"And then leave him with the burden of raising a child on his own." Ludwig accused. "You know you can't keep the baby because Roderich will take one look and know _exactly _what you've done! But if there's no baby in your arms, there's a chance that you can make up a believable story that you lost the child during labor…or whatever!" Liz's lips trembled as she turned her head away, holding Heinrich close to her. "Not to mention the shame you've put onto your family by having an affair."

"Ludwig, shut up." Gilbert hissed. "You're only making things worse." The blonde shrugged, biting his cheek.

"I'm only stating the truth." he muttered.

"He's right, Gilbert." Liz whispered. She closed her eyes, stood up and sighed. "I'm sorry it has to be this way." Without uttering another word, Liz handed Heinrich over to Feliciano and nodded, making her way to the door.

"Liz, wait!" Gilbert called after her, slowly standing up. He followed her outside, doing his best to push past the severe dizziness he was experiencing. Elizabeta paused, looking over her shoulder to shoot him a quick smile. "Don't listen to him; you can stay here for the night." Liz shook her head as she stood on the tip of her tows to kiss his cheek.

"It's okay, Gilbert, really. Besides, the quicker I get back on the road to Vienna, the sooner I'll be back." she whispered softly. "I've left all of Heinrich's things inside in a small bag. My address is in there as well, so you may write me letters whenever you want." Liz inhaled deeply and lowered her head. "Tell me how he grows up and goes to school a-and…" She started shaking, trembling as she did her best to hide the tears that were racing down her cheeks. "Tell him every day I love him and cherish him in my heart." Gilbert tugged on the sleeves of her dress, pulling her in for a hug.

"Don't worry; I won't let anything happen to him." Gilbert murmured, planting a small kiss on Liz's forehead.

"Everything is so wrong." Liz gasped. "This has all been a mistake! None of this should be happening! We should be raising him together, we should be a family! It's all wrong!" Gilbert cradled her face in his hands, wiping away her tears with the pads of his thumbs.

"It'll be alright, Elizabeta." He smiled. "Just wish that everything will go back to the way they're supposed to be." Liz pulled away, nodding, looking past Gilbert to see Feliciano standing behind him, holding Heinrich.

"One last goodbye?" Feli asked, gesturing to the child who had fallen back to sleep in his arms. Liz bit her lip, slowly walking towards the young Italian and kissing the baby's forehead.

"G-goodbye my little Heinrich." she whispered, gently brushing back his wispy blonde hair. Heinrich slept peacefully in Feliciano's arms, turning his head slightly and kicking his legs. "Remember that I'll always love you." Liz then turned to Gilbert, smiling sadly and walked past him. As she stood by her carriage, climbing inside, she heard Gilbert chuckling behind her.

"I'll write to you every day." he reassured. "As long as you promise me that you'll always write back."

"Of course; the only reason why I never wrote to you was because I knew I'd be seeing you soon anyway." Liz replied. She playing with the skirt of her dress as the driver closed the door. "When Heinrich is older, come visit me in Vienna, okay?" The albino nodded slowly, smirking. As the carriage slowly began to pull away, Elizabeta stuck her head out of the window, calling back: "You're awesome!"


	9. Explanations

Travelling back to Vienna felt depressing without the feel of a sleeping child in her arms. Elizabeta did her best to swallow her tears back as the carriage pulled up in front of the mansion, but her heart broke to pieces when she passed the empty nursery. All of Heinrich's belongings were gone; Liz could only think of how much of a 'waste' of money she and Roderich spent to buy clothing and toys for a child that wouldn't be living with them.

Liz couldn't help but stand in the middle of the room, staring at the empty cradle before her. Tears streamed down her cheeks as he hands fell onto her flat stomach, she choked on her sobs. She heard a few of the maids gathering by the door, muttering gossips underneath their hushed breaths. "Go away!" Liz hissed at them. Without asking anymore questions, they left, leaving Liz alone once again. She closed her eyes, patting her stomach as her sobs decrescendoed.

* * *

Several weeks after Elizabeta's visit, Ludwig noticed a change in his brother. Gilbert seemed much more cheery than usual, carrying his son everywhere and playing with the baby toys (though Ludwig was positive Gilbert enjoyed playing with the toys more than Heinrich did). The elder brother didn't seem to mind the constant crying from the child, constantly giving his full attention when Heinrich needed him. _Is he usually this caring? _Ludwig would ask himself, watching Gilbert walk around in circles to soothe Heinrich back to sleep. _Was he like this when I was younger? _

"Who's a little awesome baby?" Gilbert chanted, laying Heinrich down on the couch and laughing. "You're a little awesome baby!"

"Gilbert," Ludwig grumbled. His albino brother picked up a rattle that was laying on the floor and gently waved in front of the child.

"Do you want your rattle?" Gilbert asked. Heinrich kicked his small legs, only staring at the toy. "You're such a cute, little, awesome baby, aren't you, Heinrich?"

"Gilbert," the younger brother repeated, louder this time. His brother continued to ignore him, saying ridiculous things to his son as he shook the rattle around and gave the cooing baby other toys. "Gilbert!"

"_WHAT?_" Gilbert snapped, dropping the rattle on the floor. "I'm busy!"

"You're playing with baby toys!" Ludwig shouted back. Gilbert stuck out his bottom lip, pretending to pout and shaking the rattle a bit. "It's been a few weeks since you've been to work; don't you think it's time to go back?" Gilbert shrugged, beginning to make goofy faces in hopes to make the baby laugh. "You know once grandfather's back gets better he's going to drag your lazy ass to that printing press."

"Let me ask you a question, okay?" Gilbert murmured. "If I'm working, who's going to take care of Heinrich for me, huh? Certainly not you since you work on the farm with grandpa. Unless you know someone who'd be willing to be a nanny, I'm staying here."

As if on cue, there was a sudden, soft knock at the front door and Gilbert slowly opened the door. Behind the door stood an extremely tall, smiling man Ludwig had never seen before. "Gilbert, it's been some time since you've come to work." The man said light-heartedly, but came across creepy. "Is there something I should know about?"

"Uh, Herr Ivan, what are you doing here?" Gilbert asked, nervously. "Work? Er, yeah, I kinda forgot." Ludwig gently pushed his brother aside and looked up at Ivan.

"Are you the owner of the newspaper company, Gilbert's boss?" he asked. Ivan nodded, shifting his eyes back and forth to look at the two brothers. "You should probably come inside instead of standing in the doorway; Gilbert's got a long story to tell you." Ivan gave a confused look as he stepped inside of the house. The two German brothers exchanged glances, Ludwig tilting his head in Ivan's direction, silently telling Gilbert to speak.

"Um, Ivan, I know I just started working and all but, I'm not sure how soon I'll be able to come back." Gilbert awkwardly began. Ivan's smile faded away, his expression becoming stern as he narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "You see, I kind of have a head injury." He pointed to the small swollen bump that was on his forehead, and then pointed to Heinrich who was calmly sleeping against his chest. "And then I have this little one here; I can't leave him alone. So if you wouldn't mind, I'm not coming back to work." Gilbert grinned proudly as silence fell in the room, the three men awkwardly staring at each other, waiting for Gilbert to continue. Ludwig let out a frustrated sigh, rubbing his temples.

"Herr Ivan, let _me _explain this so it's much clearer to you." he mumbled. "To make a long story short, my idiot brother slept with a woman who's married to another man and you can probably guess what happened from there. The other night, the woman basically came to visit saying that Gilbert needed to be the one to raise the child, Gilbert fainted and crashed his head against the corner of the table." Ludwig paused, raising his head up to look up at the tall Russian. "If you would be so kind, please excuse my brother from working at the printing presses for a few more weeks for his recovery and so we can possibly find a nanny for the baby." A smile grew back on Ivan's face, he chuckled lightly and crossed his arms.

"Is that all?" Ivan asked. "Silly me, I thought it was because you didn't like working for me, Gilbert." Gilbert scowled, muttering under his breath.

"Gilbert would love to come back as soon as possible, but considering our situation…" Ludwig continued.

"I understand now. Yes, it is no problem that you take a few more weeks off, Gilbert." Ivan interrupted. He reached into his pocket, pulling out a wallet and flipping through his money. "Since I am in a good mood, I'll give a little extra money to help you." He handed the money to Ludwig and headed for the door. "I wish you the best of luck." With that, Ivan left the two brothers standing in shock and confusion. Snapping out of his confusion, Gilbert shook his head and looked over his brother's shoulder.

"How much money did he give?" he demanded, watching Ludwig slowly count the money in his hand. "Probably some measly amount; you have no idea how cruel that man is! I barely get enough money to buy myself lunch!"

"Gilbert," Ludwig muttered, calmly. "He gave us close to five hundred Marks."

"_What?!_" Gilbert exclaimed. "You're kidding, right?" Ludwig shook his head, raising his eyebrows and smirking.

"Guess Ivan's not as cruel as you thought, huh?" he joked, turning away to put the money somewhere safe. "You better hurry up and find someone to watch over Heinrich; you don't want to get on that man's bad side."

* * *

He was home, finally home where he belonged.

Roderich was thrilled to go home to see his smiling wife and meet his newborn child. Elizabeta's short letter was still in his coat pocket and occasionally, Roderich would pull it out and scan over it, grinning to himself. It was a strange letter, he still thought; there was so much information she had been careless to leave out. Roderich did his best not to think much of it; Elizabeta might've simply wanted to surprise him.

"Bring my luggage to my room as quickly as you can." Roderich ordered the servants. As he stepped in, one of the maids was passing by, carrying towels to the rooms. "Excuse me, do you know where Elizabeta might be? Is she in the nursery?" The maid smiled sadly.

"She's reading in the parlor." she answered simply. Roderich nodded and like a child on Christmas morning, hurried down the hall to find his beautiful wife sitting by the window, reading. He quietly walked behind her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and gently kissed her cheek.

"_Guten Abend, _liebling." he greeted. Elizabeta turned to him and smirked.

"Roderich!" she exclaimed, pulling him in for a hug. "I heard so much about your tour; how did it go?" The Austrian frowned. _Strange; shouldn't she be excited to show him the baby? _

"It was fantastic." Roderich replied.

"Good; I'm glad." she muttered, turning back to her book.

"Uh, Elizabeta," Roderich stammered. "Where's our child?" Elizabeta stiffened, closing her book calmly.

"Roderich, dear, I…the baby…" she began.

"I found it odd that the letter you sent me was rather short." he continued, chuckling. "Is he sleeping? I'll go to the nursery then."

"I lost the baby, Roderich." Elizabeta confessed, lowering her head. Roderich froze, staring at her in disbelief. "I-I wish….I didn't mean…I'm sorry." He narrowed his eyes, feeling anger rise within him. "We can try again, dear."

"You're lying." he hissed through his teeth. Elizabeta jumped at the sudden anger in his voice. "Where's the baby?" She stiffened, looking away from him. "Elizabeta, answer me!" He was furious; he watched her sit still as a doll, her eyes shifting back and forth, searching for lies. _She couldn't have…she didn't… _

"I lost him…he was a stillborn." she whispered. Roderich pursed his lips.

"The baby was Gilbert's, wasn't it?!" he snapped. Liz refused to look up, letting her hair fall over her shoulder, covering her face. "Answer me!"

"Yes…" she finally replied. Angered, Roderich clenched his fists and closed his eyes. "Roderich, please listen to me…"

"How _could _you?" he yelled. "How _dare _you sleep with someone of the likes of _him_?"

"Roderich, I'm sorry! It didn't…it doesn't…" Before she could finish, Roderich stormed out of the room, shoving doors open and rushed to his beloved music room. Elizabeta was trailing behind him, begging for him to stop and listen. Once in the doorway, Roderich turned to face his wife, the woman whom he loved and shattered his heart, and scowled. "Roderich, _bitte_."

"I wish to be _alone._" he snapped, gripping the door handles. "If I am disturbed while I'm in a peace of mind, I will pack every single thing in this house that you own and throw it out of the window."

"But we need to—" With the little tolerance he had left now gone, Roderich slammed the doors shut in her face and locked them. Elizabeta began banging and kicking the door, demanding that he open the doors right away. Roderich ignored her, quickly sitting down by the piano, pounding away at the keys; letting the minor melody soothe his tattered heart.

* * *

The sun was beginning to set as Ludwig and his Italian friend made their way back home from the market. "So you have to find someone to take care of little Heinrich while Gilbert's at work?" Feliciano asked, opening a piece of candy. "I can do that; I never do anything on the farm anyway." Ludwig sighed, shifting the bag of food to his other arm.

"No, Feliciano, for the last time you may not take care of Heinrich." he replied.

"Why not?" Feliciano questioned. "Your grandpa always yells at me for sleeping; if I'm taking care of a baby, he won't yell at me anymore."

"Taking care of a few week old baby is much harder than you make it out to be, Feli." Ludwig grumbled. "There's lots of crying and feeding and changing involved." Feliciano frowned.

"Are you the one who has to deal with all of that stuff?" he asked.

"No; for whatever reason Gilbert won't let anyone near his son. He's extremely protective over him." Ludwig said. "I mean, he lets me hold him for a little bit, but then he just freaks out and has to hold him again. Don't even ask about my grandfather; Gilbert refuses to let him see Heinrich." The two friends stepped up the small steps to the porch as Ludwig pushed the door open.

"Well, if he's protective, then he definitely won't let a stranger watch over Heinrich! I can do it! I won't let anything happen to the tiny baby!" Feliciano reassured. "And you won't have to pay me either, just give me dinner every night and—"

"Oh Ludwig!" someone called behind them. Ludwig spun around to see Antonio and Francis standing at the bottom of the steps. "We were wondering if Gilbert could come out and play today." Francis teased, putting his hands on his hips and swaying a bit.

"Oh great, the dimwits are here." Ludwig grumbled, pushing Feliciano inside the house. Antonio and Francis glanced at each other, smirking. "Go away."

"Always the welcoming type, Ludwig." Antonio said. "The last time we saw Gilbert, he was an emotional wreck. We wanted to see if he was doing any better."

"I said go away! Gilbert's sick!" Ludwig reiterated, closing the door. Just as relief settled in, Ludwig felt someone pushing all of their weight on the door to keep it open.

"Liar!" Antonio exclaimed.

"C'mon Ludwig! We promise to play nice!" Francis pleaded. "Just open the door!"

"Why can't you two mind your own damn business?" Ludwig hollered, doing his best to close the door.

"Everyone shut up!" Gilbert yelled. "Heinrich's sleeping!"

"Heinrich? Who's Heinrich?" Antonio and Francis asked simultaneously.

"Gilbert and Elizabeta's so—" Feliciano started.

"NO ONE!" He managed to slam the door shut, but failed to lock the door. "Idiots! Let go of the doorknob!"

"No! Not until we meet this 'Heinrich'!" As the three continued to fight over the door, there was a soft cry from the baby who was just woken up.

"I told you guys to shut up!" Gilbert hollered. "Now you woke him up!" Ludwig sighed, letting go of the door which resulted both Antonio and Francis falling forward on their faces. "Oh great, what do you guys want?" Gilbert muttered, bouncing the unhappy child up and down, hoping it would soothe him back to sleep. Francis and Antonio gawked at their German friend before exchanging glances at each other. Francis smirked before pushing Antonio away from him.

"I _told _you he was telling the truth!" he gloated. "Gilbert and Liz slept together, and there's the proof! A baby!"

"Congratulationsis typically the better way to say 'congrats, you're a parent', Francis." Ludwig muttered.

"You owe me lunch, Antonio! I _told _you Gilbert was telling the truth!" Francis stood up and rushed towards Gilbert. "Can I hold him? Please? Pretty please?" Gilbert narrowed his eyes, moving back a little bit before carefully handing over his son to his friend. "Oh, he's so cute! Antonio, come look at the little baby!"

"His name is Heinrich." Gilbert mumbled, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Heinrich?" Antonio repeated. "Why Heinrich?"

"I don't know, I didn't give him the name! Liz did!" Gilbert spat back. "You've held him for long enough; give him back!" Francis frowned.

"I held him for barely a minute!" he shouted. The child wailed, squirming a tiny bit in Francis' arms. "Hey now, what's wrong little one? Are you hungry?" He lifted the child above his head, smiling.

"He doesn't like it when you do that!" Gilbert yelled. "He's upset because you two lame-wads came in and woke him up!" Gently, the albino German took his son out of Francis' arms and held him close, rocking back and forth. Once Heinrich's crying settled down, Gilbert glared at his two friends. "Why are you guys here anyway?"

"We were here to see if you wanted to go to the pub with us tonight." Antonio answered. "But since you've got your hands full, I guess we'll have to meet another time." Gilbert slowly nodded, sitting down on the old, beaten up couch. "So you're going to be raising little Heinrich, then? Do you think Elizabeta has told Roderich yet?"

"She hasn't, and she's planning to lie to him; saying she lost the baby in labor." Gilbert explained, lowering his head. "We'll see what happens, but either way, Roderich won't take it well."

"I can imagine!" Francis muttered. "Poor guy thought that the child was his! To find out that the woman you love slept with another man before the wedding would be heartbreaking, if not soul crushing!" Gilbert only nodded, patting sleeping Heinrich's head, brushing his wispy hair. "Well, if there's anything we can do to help you with raising Heinrich, we'd be glad to help! Won't we, Antonio?"

"Of course! Anything you need, Gilbert!" Antonio added, grinning.

"I don't trust you guys enough to babysit him." Gilbert hissed. "I'd let Feliciano spend a day with Heinrich before I let you two watch him." Feliciano sprinted into the room from the kitchen, grinning.

"I can babysit him?!" Feli asked, eager. "I promise I won't let anything happen to him, Gilbert! And to think, I'm much cheaper than hiring a nanny of some kind! You only have to pay me by giving me dinner every night!" Gilbert bit his lip and shook his head. Feliciano frowned with disappointment, glancing over at Ludwig. Ludwig ran his hand through his hair, sitting down next to his elder brother.

"Gilbert, you can't always hover around Heinrich." Ludwig whispered, in German. "You're going to have to go to work, Heinrich's going to get older and go to school. You have to know that we care about Heinrich and will protect him just as much as you will."

"_Ich weiss_," Gilbert murmured. "But—"

"But nothing." Ludwig interrupted. "Let Feli, Francis and Antonio take turns watching Heinrich." Gilbert remained silent, but narrowed his eyes and sighed with frustration. "Are the three of you alright with that? Feliciano can watch Heinrich in the morning and early afternoon, and one of you…or both, can watch him before Gilbert comes home. Fair?" The three nodded, all ginning and doing their best to contain their excitement. "_Gut. _That settles everything then." Ludwig patted his brother's back and smiled reassuringly.

"One thing that the three of you should know," Gilbert murmured, standing up to the staircase, ready to put Heinrich to bed. "If Heinrich's first word is any language but German, you can say goodbye to your babysitting jobs."

* * *

The house was silent except for the faint echo of Roderich's piano playing coming from the music room. After their huge argument, Elizabeta stood still for minutes, unsure of what to say. Roderich was _furious_, and instead of screaming and yelling like any other person would do, he locked himself up with that _stupid _piano. Liz could hear him pounding away at the piano, letting the music soothe his emotions. "Frau," the maid called softly. "I think it would be best if you left him alone for a few hours."

"He wouldn't listen to me." she whispered.

"Would you listen to him if _he _had an affair with another woman?" the maid muttered. "When he is upset, he can play that piano for hours, even days. He's been that way ever since I've known him." The maid sighed. "Things could've been better if you would've kept the child."

"Either way, my life would have gone straight to hell!" Liz snapped. "I can care less if he's angry and refuses to speak to me; we're talking about this _now_. Where's the key to the music room?"

"I-I'm not sure…" the maid stammered. "Frau, I strongly advise you to stay away from him."

"Well, I'm going to make some tea and by the time I get back, I want these doors unlocked and held open for me as if I were a princess." Liz demanded, storming off. "That's an order!" Before the maid could respond, Liz had already turned the corner in the direction of the kitchen. She put the kettle on the stove to heat up while looking around helplessly through the teas that were all in German. Hoping the tea she chose would suffice, she dropped the tea bags in the tea cups, poured the boiling water and waited patiently for the tea to steep.

"Um…Frau Edelstein?" the maid called. "I've found the key and I'm ready to open the door whenever you're ready." Liz picked up the tray and nodded.

"Ready." she muttered. The two women ventured back to the music room's entrance, the maid shaking as she carefully unlocked the door, trying to be quiet as possible. "What's taking so long?" Liz snapped.

"_Es tut mir leid,_" the maid apologized, stepping aside. "You may go in; but don't say I didn't warn you." she added, before scurrying away. Liz stepped inside the room just to hear Roderich slam his hands down on a terrible chord.

"That's an interesting style, dear." Liz said, setting the tray on a small table. "Who is that you were playing? Schubertmann?"

"I told you I didn't want to be disturbed." Roderich grumbled. "I suggest you leave immediately."

"Not until we settle this between us." Liz sighed, offering him the second tea cup. "I made some tea for you." She stood there, persistent until Roderich relented and took the cup, simply resting it in his lap. "Roderich, what happened between Gilbert and I was a mistake."

"Was it _really_, or is that just your cover up to try to make me feel better?" the musician snapped.

"Will you let me explain?" the Hungarian woman spat back. "Gilbert and I have been friends for years and were talking normally and…things just led to another." Silence. Roderich quietly sipped his tea, collecting his thoughts.

"When, exactly, did this happen?" he asked.

"Why should that matter?" Liz answered, a little too quickly. "Let's not dwell on this."

"It was the day before our wedding, wasn't it?" Roderich glared at her, already knowing the answer. "Elizabeta, answer me." Liz pursed her lips and slowly nodded. She watched him put the tea cup down and place his hands, folded, in his lap. "Elizabeta, I want to ask you a question and I want the truth. _Liebst du mich?_"

"Roderich, that's absurd! Why would you—"

"_Liebst du mich?!_" Roderich yelled. "It's a simple 'yes' or 'no' question, Elizabeta."

"Yes, _of course_ I love you, Roderich." Liz muttered. "There's nothing between Gilbert and I." She reached for his hands, holding them between hers. "I love you and only you, Roderich." Elizabeta leaned forward to kiss his cheek. "I'm sorry for what I did, but let's put it behind us, shall we?" Roderich remained silent, pulling away from her. "Roderich, please! Why can't you believe me?"

"I never said that." he murmured, standing up. "I need to think about this. Excuse me." As he headed for the door, Liz followed him, grasping for his hand. "Elizabeta, what—" Before he could finish his thought, Liz was pressing her lips against his. She cradled his jaw, pulling away slightly.

"I love you so much." she whispered softly. She knew she was lying, but in order for them to keep things the way they were, she had to lie to Roderich and herself. "We can always try again, to start our family I mean." Roderich stepped away from her, keeping quiet and his face emotionless. "We can forget about everything, put this incident behind us and continue with our lives the way it's supposed to be. Don't you want that?" A small smile grew across Roderich's lips as he brushed back a strand of her hair.

"O-of course, liebling." he mumbled. "But what you did was—"

"What I did was a mistake and is in the past; we can forget about it and move on." Liz snapped.

"But…"

"Forget about it!" Liz's voice bounced off of the walls in the acoustic room, fading away slowly. "We can start a family, Roderich, and everything will be just perfect. Just you wait."

* * *

**Author's Note: **Sorry it took so long to get this chapter posted. I had a lot of work to do with it and was doing my best to make sure each section of the chapter didn't end lamely. If that makes any sense. Reviews and critiques are welcomed and much appreciated!

**Translations: **

_Liebst du mich? _= Do you love me?

_Es tut mir leid = _I'm sorry


	10. Truth be Told

**Author's Note: I am so sorry for the long wait for this chapter! I had a lot of college things to do and haven't had much time to sit down and think of plot lines for this story. I hope this chapter feeds your 'cravings' for this story. I know there are some unrealistic things with the children in this story, and I apologize. Critiques and reviews are welcomed and greatly appreciated! Enjoy! **

* * *

_Liebe Elizabeta,_

_I finally managed to find some time to sit down and write you this letter. Though, it's been such a long time, I'm not sure you can handle reading my awesome handwriting anymore. Anyways, I thought I'd give you an update on how Heinrich is doing. Currently, he's learning how to walk and we're all waiting for him to say his first word. I just hope that Francis has gotten his way in trying to make Heinrich mutter some French word the first time he speaks; if he does, I'll have to punch Francis for that. Heinrich's also beginning to look more and more like you as he gets older. His eye color has lost the bluish hue and has grown to a darker green; kinda like yours. His hair is also not fully blonde, but not brown either. It's right in the middle. And he has your temper too._

_I hope you know that I miss you and think about you every chance I get. I wish things would've gone differently for us, I wish you here next to me as I put Heinrich to bed or when he cries. I hope things in Vienna are going well for you; Roderich must've taken the news well…whatever it is that you told him. _

_Please write back; you know how much I hated it when you didn't write to me before Heinrich was born. _

_Ich liebe dich. Immer. _

_Deine,_

_Gilbert_

_Several months later_

"C'mon, Heinrich!" Francis cheered, tickling Heinrich's stomach. "Say _Bonjour_ for me!" A loud, frustrated sigh came from Antonio who was lying on the floor, playing with one of Heinrich's toys.

"How many times do I have to tell you that Heinrich's first word should be 'father'." Antonio muttered.

"_Pére?_" Francis asked, chuckling.

"No, you idiot, in German; whatever that is." Antonio said, laughing. Francis lifted up Heinrich's arms, helping him stand up as the child tried to walk, moving slowly.

"German's so boring; but if you insist," Francis murmured. "It's _Vater_. Or _vati_, for short I think." Heinrich stopped before tumbling over backwards, babbling as he reached for the toy Antonio was tossing up and down in the air.

"Eh!" Heinrich whined, throwing his hands up in the air and accidentally smacking the Frenchman in the face. Antonio laughed loudly, only to quickly cover his mouth with his free hand and sliding the toy over to the fussy child. "Fa! Fa!" The two older men glanced at each other in confusion, putting their attention back to Heinrich, who threw the toy across the room with all his might.

"Fa…fa? What the hell does that mean?" Antonio asked, rolling over onto his stomach.

"Don't swear in front of him!" Francis cried. "And how am I supposed to know; he's a baby for crying out loud! That could mean anything! It could mean 'I want this toy' to 'I soiled my pants'!" Antonio smirked.

"I think we'd know if he needed a diaper change, Francis. And since when is 'hell' a swear word?" he teased. He sat up and took the babbling child away from Francis, holding him up in the air. Heinrich giggled, dropping the toy on Antonio's face. "I think he's going to be a little trouble maker, what do you think?" Francis shrugged.

"Of course he's going to be a trouble maker; he's Gilbert Beilschmidt's son. Gilbert is the master of causing trouble." he commented. "Speaking of the devil, shouldn't Gilbert be home by now? And Ludwig's usually back by now too, getting dinner ready."

"Maybe they got wrapped up in things?" Antonio suggested, letting Heinrich stand on the floor and waddle away before falling over. "I mean, I know they're usually pretty punctual about things but, you never know."

"Fa! Fa! Fa!" Heinrich cheered, hurrying over to the toy he had thrown moments ago. Francis stood up, following him and picked him up, repeatedly urging him to say 'bonjour'. Just then, the front door swung open, revealing the two German brothers marching in.

"Francis! How many times do I have to tell you to not speak French around him? He's gonna pick that crap up and speak it!" Gilbert muttered, taking Heinrich out of his friend's arms.

"I can't resist, _mon ami_." Francis murmured.

"Fa! Fa…t!" Heinrich cheered, waving his arms around as he hid his face in his father's shirt. "Fa! Fa…y!"

"Besides, I think he's trying to say 'Francis'." he added. "Good kid."

"He's saying 'fa', not 'fra'." Gilbert snapped.

"R-really? I'm pretty sure I heard 'fra' in there somewhere." Francis brushed back his hair with his hand, smirking. "He's taking after his Uncle Francis."

"You are _not _his uncle." Ludwig hissed.

"'Course I am! What do you think Antonio, Feliciano and I are to him? Certainly more than simple babysitters." Francis snapped back. Gilbert had already walked away from the two arguing, standing in the kitchen, gently tossing his son in the air.

"How's my awesome little son doing today? _Gut?_" Gilbert asked. Heinrich was giggling contagiously, which made Gilbert grin from ear to ear. "It's so good to be home with family, not at that stinky press company."

"Fa! Fa! Fat!" Heinrich chirped. Gilbert smirked.

"Think of all the pranks we can do when you're older! I think Francis should be our first target, what do you think?" he rambled, pulling Heinrich close and cradling him. "What to do though; I've basically done every prank in the book…"

"_Vati!_"

"Maybe I could hide and throw eggs at him or something…"

"_Vati! Vati!_" Gilbert paused, looking down at the child who was pulling at the buttons on his shirt. "Vati! Vati!"

"Did you just…t-talk?" Gilbert asked, blinking. "You said your first word!" The father ran out of the kitchen, back into the room where his younger brother and friends were still arguing.

"I don't care what you think, Francis, Heinrich is not going to call you his 'uncle' because you're not!" Ludwig shouted, poking Francis' chest. Francis raised an eyebrow and bit his lip, chuckling to himself.

"Well, that's what you think." he grumbled.

"Hey _dummkopfs,_" Gilbert hollered, bumping into his brother. "Heinrich just said his first word!" Francis gasped and clapped his hands in joy.

"I bet he said 'bonjour' for me! He's such a good little boy!" Francis cheered.

"If it was bonjour, I'm going to make sure you never step foot in this house ever again." Ludwig mumbled. Antonio draped his arms over Ludwig's and Francis' shoulders and flashed a wide grin across his face.

"Was it '_padre_'? Well, in German, of course." Antonio asked. Gilbert grinned and nodded. Ludwig sighed with relief, smiling faintly as Francis slumped his shoulders and muttered under his breath. Heinrich leaned forward, babbling and reaching outward to the toy that was lying on the floor next to Gilbert's feet. "That's great; can you believe that the little guy is saying his first word already?" Antonio added. "He'll be all grown up before you know it."

"Don't remind me." Gilbert sighed, squatting down to let Heinrich crawl away from him to the toy.

"Wouldn't that be somewhat of a good thing though? I mean, when he gets older, that means you can go to Austria so he can meet Elizabeta." Antonio reminded. "Wouldn't it be nice to see her again?" A smirk gently tugged at the corner's of Gilbert's mouth as he watched his son laugh at the toy before throwing it once again.

"It'd be fantastic to see her again," he replied, brushing his hand through his silver hair. "My worry is explaining everything to Heinrich…and how much Liz has changed over the years."

* * *

_Dearest Gilbert,_

_I am so happy that to hear that Heinrich is doing well. No words can describe how much I miss him and you; I must admit I feel empty inside. Can you believe that Heinrich will be almost a year old soon? It seems just yesterday I was holding him for the first time. _

_Enough sad comments for now; I have other news! Though you most likely do not care for this bit of information, but Roderich and I are parents! Our daughter's name is Valeria and she's only four months old. Roderich generally spoils her rotten, which I'm fine with I suppose. It's nice to have him home to help me take care of the baby, though he says he will be leaving soon again for another tour. He's a proud father, and I'm a proud mother, I suppose. It certainly is hard to try to push away the fact that my son is living in another country, growing up without a mother. But I know you'll take good care of him, won't you Gilbert? You always did take good care of me when we were younger. I know Heinrich is safe with you. _

_Take care, I'll always love you. Some day we will see each other again. _

_Liebe, Elizabeta _

Elizabeta woke up to the chirping sound of birds sing outside of the bedroom window. The Hungarian turned on her side to see that her husband had already woken up and had left the room. "He just can't leave her alone, can he?" she muttered, pulling on a robe as she stepped out of the dim room. She made her way to the nursery to find Roderich swaying back and forth, humming some sort of melody from a piano piece he was recently composing. "_Guten Morgen_," Liz announced, covering her mouth as she yawned. "How's our little Valeria doing?" Roderich turned slightly and smiled.

"She's calmer now, she even smiled to me for the first time." he replied. Liz grinned, gently taking her daughter away from him.

"_Jó reggelt, _Valeria! Did you sleep well?" Li sang off key, kissing the child's forehead. Valeria, only four months old, kicked her tiny legs, cooing. "Yes, you're a happy baby this morning!" Valeria clung close to her mother, hiding her face in the crook of Liz's neck. "Let's go get some breakfast, sweetheart." Liz turned to the doorway, carrying her daughter close.

"Your parents are visiting today." Roderich announced. "You know you're going to have to explain what happened to our…your first born."

"They don't need to know about the affair I had with Gilbert." Liz reassured. "As far as they know, the child was a stillborn."

"How can you say that?" Roderich asked, following her out into the hallway. "How can you just ignore that fact that you had an affair and gave away your son? Doesn't it bother you that you're not in his life?"

"I can't dwell in the past; I have to move on." Liz muttered.

"And you know how nosy your mother is," he added. "She'll pry for every bit of information she can get her hands on." Liz rolled her eyes, setting Valeria in her high chair.

"You have nothing to worry about, Roderich dear. I've lived with my mother for the first half of my life and I've lied to her on several occasions."

"I think I've already figure that out myself." The musician pushed past her to get to the stove. "You're fantastic at keeping secrets too."

"Oh Roderich, please let it go." Liz sighed, wrapping her arms around her husband's neck. "Everything's been sorted out between us and all is well. We have a beautiful baby girl; isn't that enough?" She delicately kissed his cheek. "My life is perfect."

"Despite that you're completely ignoring the fact that you have an illegitimate son." Roderich grumbled.

"I write to Gilbert and he keeps me posted." Liz snapped. "We promised Heinrich will come visit me when he's much older to understand!"

"Don't you think people aren't going to question what happened? I mean, he's an unmarried man and suddenly he's taking care of a child." Roderich hissed. "Do you really think people are that stupid, Elizabeta?"

"If you think people are going to shun him, that's not true." Liz defended. "The only person who'll do that is his grandfather; the man never liked him for some reason."

"Come to think of it, all of the consequences you should be dealing and coping with was just dumped on Gilbert." Liz took a step back, putting her hands on her hips.

"Hey!" she cried. "Who's side are you on?!" Roderich shrugged, handing Valeria her bottle.

"I'm just being practical, is all." Liz gave him a glare that could shatter ice as he sat down. "Though I don't personally know the man and think he's in the way of our marriage, he's got a lot to deal with. All on his own, with a child; it's quite unheard of." Liz sat down on the chair across from the Austrian, folding her hands in her lap.

"I received a letter from him a few days ago. I can't believe Heinrich is already a year old. Can you believe that?" Liz stated, going off topic. "He must be so big now. Probably learning how to walk without tumbling over…" Her voice trailed off as she closed her eyes.

"So you do think about him then." Roderich grumbled. "Heinrich, I mean."

"Of course I do! I just…I have to keep my thoughts hidden." Liz answered. She sighed as a butler walked past and handed Roderich the newspaper. "If you think that I don't spend one waking moment without think about what I lost, you're wrong."

"I didn't say that," Roderich stated, flicking the paper open. "I'm just being practical, liebling." Valeria dropped the bottle on the floor, giggling as she looked down to see the small cup rolling on the floor. As he reached down to pick up the bottle, Liz smiled.

"I'm happy with you, you know that, right?" she whispered, smiling at him sweetly. Roderich simply nodded, not bothering to answer her with a simple 'I know'. The room fell silent as they ate, Valeria being the only one who seemed to be happy that morning as she giggled and grinned. Once the two parents were finished, Liz picked up her daughter and followed Roderich out of the dining room. Roderich walked towards the music room, like always, and as he opened the doors, Liz tapped him on the shoulder. "I don't love him." she denied. "Gilbert, I mean. I love you and only you, Roderich." A smug smirk flashed across Roderich's face as he closed the doors.

"Of course you do, liebling." he whispered. "Of course you do."

* * *

Dinner time was always chaos in the Beilschmidt household; first, making the meals was crazy enough. Both Francis and Feliciano were particular in what foods they wanted to eat, particular in two different ways. Ludwig had a hard time figure out what to cook to please the two picky eaters and his family. Basically, cooking dinner was hell.

"As usual, this dinner is bland in taste." Francis mumbled, sitting back in his chair. "Don't you ever eat anything with flavour?"

"If you don't like what I make, you could always go back to your place and cook yourself your own dinner." Ludwig snapped. "It's always the same with you! You're always complaining!" Antonio chuckled.

"Don't take it so seriously, Ludwig. He's only teasing." The Spaniard reassured.

"No I'm—" Francis started before Antonio smacked the back of his head. "Ow!" he whined.

"He appreciates everything you do, Ludwig." Antonio added, grinning.

"Yeah, thanks Ludwig!" Feliciano cheered. "Though I would still prefer some pasta over sauerkraut and potatoes, but it'll do!"

"No Heinrich, don't throw the food on the floor!" Gilbert shouted. "Sauerkraut is yummy!" Heinrich squirmed in his chair, turning his head away from the fork that Gilbert was shoving in his face. "I don't understand! You had no problems eating it last week."

"Nein!" Heinrich cried, whacking his father's hand which caused the food to fly across the table, landing right in Francis' hair. Everyone at the table was silent, staring at Francis who pursed his lips in anger. Gilbert snickered, covering up his grin with his hand. Heinrich broke the silence by going into a laughing fit and clapping his hands together. He looked up at his father, grinning. "_Noch einmal!" _Gilbert joined in his son's laughter, patting his Heinrich's head.

"Gilbert!" Ludwig shouted. "Don't encourage him…" Gilbert shrugged.

"I don't see the problem; I'm sure he's had worse things in his hair before." The albino mumbled, moving Heinrich's plate away from him.

"I swear you are the spawn of the devil." Francis hissed. He glared at Heinrich who was still laughing. "Both of you." Ludwig sighed, frustrated, and shook his head.

"Gilbert, you're not making the situation better by laughing. You're influencing him." he said.

"What's the problem?" Gilbert repeated. "Of course I'm influencing him; I'm awesome!"

"Gilbert!" Ludwig hollered. Gilbert frowned and rolled his eyes, sulking in his chair a bit.

"_Fine_, I'll try to be more serious next time." he grumbled. Heinrich stopped laughing, reaching for the tiny fork that was in front of him. "You have to admit, it was funny."

"It was not!" Francis protested. "That's the fifth time he's done that to me!" Gilbert shrugged, grinning.

"Not my problem." he replied, picking up Heinrich out of the chair. "Bath time, Heinrich! Let's try to keep that water in the bathtub this time, okay?" As he climbed up the stairs, the others sat in silence, staring at their empty plates.

"Well, we should all get going then." Antonio muttered, standing up. "Come on Francis; you don't want your 'precious' hair to be ruined."

"Bye!" Feliciano chirped. "See you tomorrow! Sleep well! Hope you get that stinky sauerkraut out of your hair!" The two closed the door behind them and Feli stood up. "Why don't you get some rest, Ludwig? I'll clean up for tonight!" he offered.

"It's alright, Feli. Just go home." Ludwig answered.

"No, no, I insist!" Feliciano began gathering all of the plates, smiling towards his friend. "You may not help with babysitting Heinrich, but you do a lot around this small house. You work on the farm, you take care of your grandfather when he has back trouble, you cook for us; you do everything while the rest of us have fun! Go on! Get some extra rest!" Ludwig smiled and nodded.

"Thank you." he relented, walking to the staircase. "Just don't break anything, okay?" Feliciano grinned.

"Okee dokee, Ludwig! You can trust me!" The blonde hurried up the stairs and shuffled to his room, stopping in front of the washroom door hearing his elder brother laughing away. The door was partly open, and Ludwig slowly pushed on it to see his brother taking a bucket and filling it up with water.

"Oh no, it's raining!" Gilbert gasped, obviously playing some sort of game with his son. He carefully poured the water over Heinrich's head, which made water splatter everywhere. Heinrich giggled, picking up a bath toy and throwing it out of the tub.

"_Noch einmal, noch einmal, noch einmal!_" the child chanted. Gilbert chuckled, reaching for the toy and setting it to the side.

"Bath time is over." he answered, snatching a towel. He pulled Heinrich out of the tub, wrapped him up in the towel and kissed his forehead. Ludwig faintly smiled as he backed away, letting the door slip from his hands. As he closed his bedroom door behind him, he thought about how proud he was of his brother, despite the odd circumstances.

* * *

Liz walked carefully as she entered the parlor, holding a tray with four full teacups and the small kettle. She set the tray on the small table in between the two couches where her parents and Roderich were sitting. "I brought cream and sugar too." Liz said, smiling. Her mother was holding Valeria, who was peacefully sleeping, and glared at her daughter suspiciously.

"Tell me again what happen to your first child." she stated, swaying back and forth.

"Mom, I already told you in the letter I sent you; the baby was a stillborn." Liz answered, avoiding eye contact. "Can't we talk about anything else? You told me that you bought a new house; what's it like?" Liz's mother simply turned towards Roderich and smiled.

"You must've felt so devastated when you came back from your tour and you received the news." she said, gently touch his knee. "Were you crushed?" Roderich inhaled deeply and closed his eyes.

"I suppose you could say that." he answered, reaching for a cup and sipping from it slowly. "Wouldn't any man be devastated when he finds out that the child he was hoping to meet after a long trip is simply gone in the blink of an eye?"

"What did you two do? I mean, that's so depressing; I'm surprised you two were able to move on so quickly and try again." Liz's mother continued. "Elizabeta, weren't you upset?"

"Of course!" Liz snapped. "But I have Valeria now, and I'm happy. I couldn't imagine my life without her." Her mother grew quiet, nodding as she looked down at her granddaughter.

"Is she going to be a pianist like you, Roderich?" she then asked. "I always wanted Elizabeta to play a musical instrument, but she was too into riding horses and hunting. It was because she was friends with that troublemaker Gilbert." Valeria stirred in her sleep, whimpering and kicking her feet. "You two were always playing pranks on me and your father; that boy was a terrible influence on you."

"Gilbert is a good person, _anya_." Liz hissed. "You never took a chance to meet him properly and see the kinder side of him."

"All I remember is him laughing and screaming whenever he was around. Nothing but trouble."

"That's it; onto another topic!" Liz yelled, standing up. She glanced at the three who were sitting there, thinking of what else to say. She looked towards her father and gave him a soft smile. "_Apa_, how are you? You haven't uttered a word since you've got here. How's…how's the business going?"

"Elizabeta, you know your father doesn't talk much now." her mother commented, leaning back in her seat. Liz pointed at her mother, closing her eyes to calm herself down and sighed.

"You never shut up, do you? You just have keep talk and talking and talking." Liz spat in Hungarian. "Is it really that hard for you to keep your mouth shut? Have you ever thought that sometimes people don't want to hear you talk?" As the echo from her voice faded away, Valeria began to cry and scream from the chaotic argument. "Look what you did, you made her cry!" Liz added, moving closer to her mother. Before her mother could hand the upset child to Liz, Roderich swiftly took Valeria in his arms and began walking out of the parlor. "Roderich, where on earth are you going?" Liz demanded, following after him.

"Being in the middle of an argument is no place for a child," he answered, not bothering to look back. "I'm going to take her to the music room to play and sing her some lullabies to soothe her back to sleep." He paused in the door way, looking over his shoulder. "And Elizabeta," he added. "_Die Wahrheit muss gesagt werden._" Elizabeta stood in silence as she watched him turn the corner and bit her lip.

"Elizabeta," her mother whispered. "What did he say?" Liz did not reply at first, looking down at her feet and playing with the ring on her left hand. "Elizabeta, what did he say?" her mother asked again, sternly.

"Nothing." Liz replied, closing her eyes. "He said nothing."


End file.
